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What you can expect

»Ê¼Ò»ªÈËoffers you an exciting, quality training scheme within the NFU’s Legal Affairs team. The Legal Affairs team is a small, busy legal team. We are committed to providing high‑quality legal advice to the NFU’s Officeholders and Directors and staff across the country, as well as providing legal support to the NFU’s farmer and grower members. You will be working in a unique, fast‑paced environment where variety is paramount.

The Legal Affairs team provides advice on a variety of issues and the last year has seen the team involved in the following:

• Pursuing litigation in the European Court of Justice as an intervener in a high‑profile case concerning plant protection products;
• Advising internal clients on industry supply contracts;
• Providing legal advice to internal clients on a wide range of environmental issues, including issues associated with the ‘Dutch nitrogen case’.
• Litigation in the High Court on various cases, including a recent case relating to Wildlife Licences;
• Advising on various issues relating to Covid‑19, including contractual issues relating to supply chain disruption, essential work and travel under the restrictions, and public access on farm land;
• Advising the organisation on the implications of key new legislation, such as the Agriculture Act 2020 and the Environment Bill and assisting with the NFU’s lobbying work;
• Advising internal clients on the legal aspects of ‘Brexit’ and international trade and the transition to domestic support schemes.

Where you will go

We want to provide our Trainee Solicitors with a tailored comprehensive legal training, and a detailed understanding of the industry. We will provide you with experience of as many areas of the organisation as possible. This is likely to include some travel to our offices throughout England, Wales and possibly Brussels, including overnight trips. Farm visits and member meetings are also likely to be included as part of your training experience, to provide you with a greater understanding of the agricultural industry and the needs and requirements of our members (see below). We also aim to provide a secondment of approximately three months with one of our panel firms of solicitors.

What will you experience

Your comprehensive training will encompass all of the Practice Skills Standards and will provide an excellent grounding for qualification as a solicitor. Your training will include the following:

• A variety of experience through individual assignments, research and team project work with technical specialists within the NFU.
• Completion of the Professional Skills Course.
• A placement with one of the NFU panel firms of solicitors usually focusing on litigation and ADR.
• Access to a relocation fund to make moves between placements easier (where moves are required).

During your two year training programme you will have exposure to and develop an understanding of many of the following areas of law:

• Company
• Contracts
• Tort
• Competition
• Property
• Environment
• Employment
• Animals / Animal Health
• Administrative / Public
• Agricultural Payment Schemes
• Insolvency
• Rights of Way and Commons
• Water and Drainage
• Litigation / ADR

How we will support you

The NFU’s Senior Legal Adviser will be your Training Principal, and will organise and support you through the two year scheme. In addition to this, you will have the benefit of day to day support and guidance from other qualified Solicitors within the Legal Affairs team who may require you to carry out assignments, or work on projects with them.

You will be a starting salary of £24,500 per annum.

As a welcome to the NFU you will receive a one‑off Trainee Solicitor entry scheme payment of £1,000.