Cheaper living, a more varied workload and increased recognition – these are just some of the benefits you can expect when working for a law firm outside the City.

Regional firms may not have such huge partner numbers or profits as Magic Circle or Silver Circle firms, but they still bring in astounding annual turnovers.

A key attraction for many trainees is the chance to get their hands dirty early on in their career, while having their contribution noticed. Some City trainees often complain of feeling like a small cog in a huge wheel but, with fewer numbers of trainees in regional firms, and smaller legal teams, you can make your name stick with both internal and external clients.

Who are the employers?

Regional firms can be split into roughly two camps. The first are the national firms, such as Eversheds, Irwin Mitchell, Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths, Weightmans and Wragge & Co, which have offices throughout the UK, with their headquarters outside London. The second group consists of regional firms that have a strong base in one particular location, such as Newcastle-based Dickinson Dees and Leeds-based Walker Morris.

Key regional areas include Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. Major national and international companies are choosing to base their headquarters outside London and this is driving economic growth and regeneration.

Cambridge and Oxford are also legal hotspots, with the universities providing technology and bio-sciences spin-offs that require regular legal advice.

Regional firms generally offer fewer training contracts than the heavy hitters in London, with 20 being the average number. Trainee salaries are also lower, at around £21,000, but living costs tend to be cheaper and working hours are generally less demanding.

Typical work for trainees

Regional firms recruiting trainees are very keen to stress that the work they offer is on a par with that in major City firms and that trainees will most certainly get hands-on experience in these projects.

Whether it’s advising a local company on employment law matters or a high net-worth individual on what to do with their financial situation, the regions can offer their trainees choice and breadth of work.

Consider working for a regional firm if you want…

• to be treated as more than ’just a trainee’ - you’ll be given good quality and extremely varied work and responsibility
• a greater variety of departments to choose seats from and the opportunity to go on secondment to major plc clients
• people to know who you are – you won’t be just another number
• more client contact – trainees can become heavily involved in client matters and have more interaction and supervision with partners
• to be part of a close-knit professional community.

Think again if you…

• cannot multi-task - a varied workload means this is one of the biggest skills you’ll need as a trainee
• want the bright lights and bigger buzz of London – although regional cities also have great clubs and excellent socialising opportunities
• want to mix with all the firm’s trainees under one roof
• want to do one of your seats in an overseas office - this is much more likely to happen in a large City or international firm.