The Barclays Legal Experience Week (BLEW) is a programme attended by 60 Aspiring Solicitors members over two separate weeks (30 members each week). It is a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable insights into the legal profession and the working of an in-house legal team and how it supports a global financial institution. Over five days, the programme delivers structured sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and more.

The experience will include:

  • Introduction to Barclays Legal
  • Sessions on areas of law run by lawyers at Barclays
  • Sessions run by lawyers at Barclays’ panel law firms
  • Mentoring by lawyers at Barclays
  • A group pitch competition

When are the schemes?

  • 1 September to 5 September 2025; or
  • 8 September to 12 September 2025

If successful, you will be eligible to participate during one of these weeks.

Start times on Monday to Thursday will be from 9.30am to 4.30pm. On Friday, the programme will start at 9.30am and finish at 1.30pm.

Where are the schemes?

BLEW sessions will be virtual, apart from the option to attend 1 day in-person.

Sign up deadline

The deadline to apply is 1pm on 13 June 2025.

Eligibility

To apply for this opportunity, you must:

  • Be an Aspiring Solicitors member from one of our four underrepresented groups
  • Be an undergraduate (any year) or graduate (including career changers)
  • Have received or be on target for at least a 2.1 degree classification (please note, we take into account any mitigating circumstances)
  • Must be able to virtually join the BLEW sessions during the dates above in September 2025
  • Not have previously participated in BLEW
  • Not have accepted a training contract with any law firm or legal team
  • Have an interest in pursuing a legal career
  • Have a UK right to work
Arthur’s success story
"As an international student from Africa, the UK legal industry was foreign to me."
Read My Story
Freshfields
Trainee Associate
The Barclays Legal Experience Week was a scheme that provided so much insight not only into Barclays as a company, but also law as a career. The scheme had sessions where we participated in activities, such as negotiation sessions, allowing us to refine our advocacy skills on a smaller scale. That was one of the many tasks that encouraged us to practice our legal skills. As a participant, I learned to recognise my strengths and preferences through the range of tasks and insight sessions, in ways that I had not done before.
BLEW Attendee 2024
I found the scheme to be the perfect balance between learning and application. The pitch competition and assigned tasks replicated actual trainee tasks that could be expected at a law firm. I really appreciated the opportunity to engage with legal professionals at Barclays from different backgrounds and practice areas. It allowed me to further my understanding of commercial law and the skills, experience and mindset needed to thrive in such an environment.
BLEW Attendee 2024
BLEW was an immersive, insightful and inspirational experience. This programme was able to provide me with one-of-a-kind career advice as a student keenly interested in acting as a solicitor in the future. BLEW felt almost one-on-one with only a small cohort of other students. Subsequently, every question I had was able to be answered! I could not recommend BLEW enough.
BLEW Attendee 2023
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