NQ Solicitor Market Trends: Practice Areas, Salaries & Career Tips

Choosing the right practice area when qualifying as a solicitor depends on many factors, but market conditions often play a bigger role than trainees expect. Whether you’re staying with your training firm or exploring external NQ opportunities, understanding current trends is essential.

Practice Areas in Demand

Commercial Transactional Work: Corporate, banking, commercial, construction, and projects remain busy nationwide, though London has seen a slight slowdown in finance roles. Offshore banking and finance options are also available.
Real Estate: Quieter than 2018, especially in London, but still strong regionally.
Specialist Areas: Corporate tax, pensions, employee incentives, and energy are in demand due to limited talent pools. Firms often recruit speculatively for these roles.
Family, Employment & Private Client: Generally quieter, but pockets of activity exist in the South East and South West.
Litigation: Few general commercial litigation roles, but niche areas like property litigation and professional indemnity remain strong—especially in the South West.
Personal Injury: Claimant PI continues to be very quiet across the board.

Salary Benchmarks

London: US firms pay up to £143,000 for NQs; Magic Circle firms now offer £100,000+. Top national firms in London typically pay £65,000–£85,000.
Regions: South West and South East lead with NQ salaries up to £50,000 in Bristol. Midlands and North average £40,000–£45,000. Specialist areas and top commercial teams often command a premium.

NQ Market Insights

2019 has been less predictable than 2018, influenced by economic uncertainty and Brexit.
Regional firms are releasing NQ roles later in the year, while Northern firms have started early, sometimes transferring training contracts to fill gaps.
Retention remains a priority for firms, with some offering roles in alternative departments or offices to keep trainees.

Career Advice for NQs

Don’t feel tied to your training firm—qualification is the perfect time to assess culture, clients, and long-term fit.
If you’ve already accepted an internal offer but feel uncertain, external roles are still an option. Opportunities peak between May and October.

Browse our available jobs or contact us for a confidential discussion about current opportunities.