South Africa
Based in our Johannesburg office
Show meAll our applications are submitted online on via our application portal. There is no need to submit a CV and a cover letter. We will also not accept any CV's or cover letters sent via email.
Building a future for tomorrow's legal talent
Pinsent Masons Johannesburg are proud to offer a comprehensive 2-year programme for trainee lawyers. This programme allows you to gain invaluable experience across various practice areas while developing the essential knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the legal profession. Our training contract is meticulously crafted to lay a strong foundation for your future career, featuring mentorship, training, and ongoing support to help you achieve your fullest potential.
If you wish to start with us in 2027, you must be completing the final year of your LLB degree or beyond.
If you wish to start with us in 2028, you must be completing the penultimate year of your LLB degree or beyond.
If you don’t meet the above minimum academic criteria but you have mitigating circumstances, there’s an opportunity for you to include this information in your registration form.
- Applications open: 24th February 2026
- Applications close:
Should you wish to start your candidate attorney programme in 2027, please apply before 29th May 2026
Should you wish to start your candidate attorney programme in 2028, please apply before 6th November 2026
- Programme start: January 2027/2028
- Programme duration: 2 years
Application for 2029 will open January 2027
All salary rates are market related.
To make sure we recruit the very best people, regardless of your background, we’ll pay your LPC (Legal Practice Council) registration fee and PLT classes.
At present, we have an exclusive relationship with an external service provider and all our funded future trainee's study with them for PLT before they write the board exams.
What is the recruitment process?
The below shows the typical recruitment process for our Early Talent programmes in our UK, Dublin, Johannesburg and Dubai offices.
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01. Registration & application form
Tell us about yourself, your academic history and your employment history where applicable. We also gather information about you to support our contextualized recruitment approach.
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02. Online blended assessment
The next stage of the recruitment process will involve completing our online blended assessment. This includes completing a range of situational judgment questions, a short written exercise and two video questions, allowing us to evaluate how you would perform in different scenarios.
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03. Assessment centre
If you pass the online blended assessment, we’ll ask you to book a place at one of our in-person assessment centres. You will complete three exercises over the day – This will include a one-to-one interview, a business simulation exercise and a case study.
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04. Offer
Whatever the outcome, we’ll let you know as soon as we can after the assessment centre. If you display the key attributes we are looking for and perform well throughout the assessment, we’ll send you an offer and talk you through the onboarding process.
Qualification and beyond
The NQ hiring process is centrally coordinated and involves interviews and technical skills tests. Our Graduate Development team collaborate with the business to determine which roles are available and distribute a list. You’ll be able to submit an application for a small number of vacancies in our Johannesburg office. The result will depend on your performance at assessment and throughout your training contract. This gives you every opportunity to advance your career in your preferred area of law.
How to apply
To start your application, please click on apply now. Once you have registered an account, you will need to complete the following before the application closing date:
- Registration form
- Application form
- Online blended assessment
Once you have submitted all of the above, our recruitment team will review your application alongside your online blended assessment and will be in touch in due course regarding your outcome.
Frequently asked questions
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Do I need to submit my CV and cover letter when applying?
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Do you offer a relocation package if I am outside the province?
Unfortunately, we do not offer any relocation packages for our graduate programmes in Johannesburg.
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Is it compulsory to have a driver's licence?
No, a driver’s licence is not a requirement for any of our graduate programmes in Johannesburg.
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Will I be informed if my application is unsuccessful?
Yes, we will aim to deliver all outcomes as soon as possible after the application closing date passes. Please bear with us as we receive a high volume of applications each year.
Early Talent
Want to find out more about our work experience, apprenticeships, vacation placements or training contracts? You’ll find everything you need here.
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What’s it like to work at Pinsent Masons?
Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to work here? Hear from some of our people sharing their experiences, our culture, and what truly sets us apart.
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