Apply for the Crown Prosecution Service legal trainee scheme now and start your training pathway in October 2027.
At the Crown Prosecution Service, we’re responsible for delivering justice through the independent and effective prosecution of crime.
At the Crown Prosecution Service, we’re responsible for delivering justice through the independent and effective prosecution of crime. We are the biggest employer of criminal law specialists in England and Wales, and ranked as one of the most attractive employers for law students by Universum. We’re proud to be recognised by our legal trainees in the Legal 500 Future Lawyers survey 2025 for our Client secondments, confidence of being kept on, work/life balance, inclusiveness, international secondments and approachability.
As a pupil barrister, you’re supported by a highly trained supervisor who offers guidance and opportunities to develop your understanding of working as an advocate. Your first six months are non-practising – completing advocacy training, legal courses and an optional secondment in chambers. During your remaining six months, you put your training into practice – building your advocacy skills, presenting cases in court and working with criminal justice partners.
You can develop your knowledge by working in specialist crime areas including rape and serious sexual offences, organised crime and fraud. We’re committed to your professional growth and expect, following your initial role in the magistrates’ court, that you have the necessary skills to apply for promotion opportunities based in the Crown Court including senior crown prosecutor and senior crown advocate roles.
Hear from our Crown Prosecution Service legal trainees, Kane, former Legal Trainee
We currently have two adverts live, one for a pupil barrister role and one for a trainee solicitor role. You can only submit one application for these vacancies. If you apply for both positions, or the same position more than once, we will only accept an application for the first role you applied for and will automatically reject the second.
In addition, we have two adverts live for Welsh speakers. If you are an aspiring barrister or solicitor who speaks Welsh, we encourage you to apply under one of those adverts www.cps.gov.uk/careers/legal-trainee-cy
Job description
Our legal trainee scheme is an extensive training programme to help you become a fully qualified barrister. You gain valuable experience in all areas of criminal law, from reviewing cases and preparing pre-charge advice to meeting with victims and witnesses. You’re guaranteed a permanent position as a crown prosecutor or crown advocate after successfully completing your pupillage.
Your role and responsibilities
- To prepare cases for prosecution on summary-only and either-way offences in the magistrates’ court working with caseworkers, meeting witnesses and supporting counsel.
- To advise police and other investigators on charging decisions, and work with criminal justice partners, defence lawyers and counsel on casework.
- To shadow prosecutors at magistrates’ and Crown Court, and observe advocacy.
- To attend conferences with police and counsel, and meetings with victims and witnesses.
- To carry out legal research and provide feedback to your legal supervisor and other Crown Prosecution Service colleagues.
- To work with a supervisor throughout your pupillage, keeping accurate records of work and meeting to discuss your training progress.
Person specification
We're looking for people with:
- a demonstrable interest in criminal prosecution and public service
- demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the work of the Crown Prosecution Service and our role in the wider criminal justice system
- a strong focus on continuous learning and the ability to apply knowledge of criminal law gained from study and experience
- commitment to a career as a lawyer practising criminal law in the Crown Prosecution Service
Qualifications
You must hold a minimum of a 2:2 university undergraduate degree. This doesn’t need to be in law, we consider equivalent undergraduate degrees.
If you have completed the Legal Practice Course and have an undergraduate degree at a minimum of a 2:2 in a subject other than law, you must have completed one of the following conversion courses:
• Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
• Common Professional Examination (CPE)
Postgraduate qualifications
You must have successfully completed or be due to complete the Bar course to be able to start the legal trainee scheme in October 2027.
You must provide your qualifications to our recruitment team by 1 September 2027. If you’re unable to provide confirmation of all qualifications by this time, you’re removed from the process. No deferrals will be accepted if you are unable to meet the qualification requirement.
The Crown Prosecution Service doesn't offer sponsorship for vocational qualifications.
If you don’t include your undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications on your application form, you won’t meet the eligibility criteria and are removed from the recruitment process.
Pupillage must usually start within five years of completing the Bar course. If this period lapses, you need Bar Standards Board authorisation to reactivate your qualification. This involves an application to the regulator and can take up to 16 weeks to authorise. It is your responsibility to ensure stale qualifications are reactivated in time for starting pupillage. If you don’t reactive stale qualifications in time, your offer for the scheme will be withdrawn.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Undergraduate Degree
- Postgraduate Qualifications
Benefits
Join the Crown Prosecution Service and find your purpose.
Why we work for the Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service is passionate about ensuring that we're a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We're a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where you can bring your whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering disability, faith and belief, LGBTQI+, race, social mobility alongside our mental health first aiders programme and wellbeing sessions.
The Crown Prosecution Service commits to offer its employees the following experience.
- You can do impactful, purposeful work that’s making a difference to your local communities.
- You are able to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources.
- We care about your wellbeing.
- We want you to feel valued, trusted and included.
We also offer the following range of benefits:
- Civil Service contributory pension of up to 28.9%
- 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years
- £350 each year to spend on personal development
- lawyer training programme for all new prosecutors
- an extra privilege day to mark the King's birthday
- competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- flexible working including flexitime, and a family friendly approach to work
- Cycle2Work scheme, employee savings.
Diversity at the Crown Prosecution Service is about inclusion, embracing differences and ensuring our workforce truly reflects the communities we serve. We want you to feel that you belong and can thrive, whatever your background, identity or culture. As a Disability Confident employer, we're happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments and improve your recruitment experience. If you'd like any reasonable adjustments made to our recruitment process, let us know within your application or contact Earlycareers@cps.gov.uk
The Crown Prosecution Service has fixed rates for its Executive Officer grade – a developing rate (the starting salary) and a spot rate (the maximum salary). You join us on the developing rate and, after completing a 15-month development period, move to the spot rate if your line manager confirms you’re performing the role to a satisfactory standard.
All legal trainees will be regraded to a B1 grade at the developing rate salary during your pupillage. If you are currently paid at the B1 spot rate or above (including if you are an other government department or existing Crown Prosecution Service employee at a higher grade at the point of application), you will join the at the B1 spot rate salary for the duration of your pupillage.
Upon successful completion of the legal trainee scheme, you will then move onto the relevant crown prosecutor or crown advocate Level 1 salary.
To apply click HERE
