Placement Scheme: Legal Assistant - Medical Negligence

The Vacancy

Placement Year – commencing Summer 2026

NOTE: Please read this advert carefully and give particular attention to the application requirements outlined towards the bottom of the page.

We are currently offering an opportunity for an undergraduate studying for their Law degree to join a placement scheme in our Medical Negligence Team in Richmond.

We are different - although a Top 100 Law firm, we strive to be 'Human First' in everything we do. This means we truly care about our teams as well as our clients. We give people the space and flexibility in where and how they work so they are able to provide the best experience to our teams and clients alike.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic future lawyer to get some hands-on practical work experience, and to see what legal practice looks like outside of lectures and seminars!

Here is what some of our former placement students had to say about the scheme:

I had never worked within the legal industry and wanted to use the opportunity to understand whether the law was for me.  I learned so much during my year with Moore Barlow and had so many incredible opportunities that have transformed me professionally and personally.  If you’re considering a placement year, I would highly recommend Moore Barlow.  There are so many opportunities to get involved.

Georgia Newson – Future Trainee Solicitor and former placement student

I applied for a placement at Moore Barlow to develop my legal and personal skills and gain invaluable experience of working in a law firm.  Prior to this placement I lacked experience with digital correspondence, networking and attention to detail. Not only have I improved in these areas, I also developed an understanding of so much more and became truly immersed in the culture of a leading career firm like Moore Barlow. If you are looking to develop your legal knowledge, grow in confidence, build your network and gain an insight into a top-performing law firm then I would truly recommend undertaking a placement year and starting your legal career at Moore Barlow.

Marli Britt – Future Trainee Solicitor and former placement student

More about the Medical Negligence Team:

Our Medical Negligence team, and several key individuals, have received recognition in the Legal 500 and Chamber’s & Partners for the quality of the services they provide. Our dedicated team of lawyers is committed to providing a first-class service to patients and their families who have sustained avoidable, often life-changing, injuries due to medical negligence.

The team is led by five highly experienced Partners whose unique mixture of experience ensures their clients receive the best possible service and secure significant settlements from their claims. Two of the Partners are qualified doctors, and other Partners in the team have acted in defence of medical negligence claims, meaning they have a valuable understanding of how the process works from the “other side”.

The team is based across our offices in Southampton, Woking, and Richmond, which makes them ideally placed to act for clients across the South-East, London, and beyond. Despite being spread over multiple offices, we adopt a “one-team” approach, where knowledge and support are shared across the team in the interest of improving outcomes for our clients.

Day to day:

Our Legal Assistants play a crucial role in the ongoing management of client matters and are instrumental in helping our lawyers achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients.

Working as part of a wider team of legal support staff, you will provide direct support to a number of lawyers of the team, handling a mixture of duties, including:

• Initial advice and guidance to new clients
• Acting as a point of contact and team liaison throughout the course of a matter – responding as appropriate and/or ensuring that all messages are passed on in a timely manner.
• Take an active part in the care of clients and be wholly familiar with contacts and clients both internal and external.
• File opening and closure (and associated due diligence)
• Supporting the credit control process by creating bills and liaising with accounts to arrange payment of disbursements and client account payments.
• Tasks such as creating bundles, typing from dictation, collating medical records, and court e-filing.
• Using the case management system to maintain up-to-date information on clients and their matters.

What we look for:

• This scheme is available only to second-year law students. Please do not apply if you are not currently in your second-year of studies.
• You must be eligible to work full-time in the UK for the duration of the placement.
• Individuals with fantastic communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with both clients and colleagues.
• Initiative for self-improvement, and a willingness to get stuck into new tasks and challenges required to meet individual and departmental objectives.
• A proactive and collaborative work ethic.
• The ability to time manage effectively, and prioritise workload to meet deadlines. 

Application

If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please submit your application by clicking the “Apply Now” button on this page. You will be asked to provide a copy of your CV, a covering letter, and to answer a handful of questions.

Please ensure your CV includes your academic grades to date, and details of any current courses (including dates, modules studied, and any available predicted grades).

Also, please ensure your covering letter is included as the first page(s) of your CV document upload (you will only be able to upload one document, so make sure the cover letter is part of the same file as your CV).

Your cover letter should detail:

• Why you are interested in the placement opportunity at Moore Barlow.
• What your current areas of interest within the law are (favourite modules, for example).
• Why you have opted to undertake a placement year.
• Any further information you feel is relevant to your application.

We really want to hear your thoughts and ideas. By all means use AI to check your spelling and grammar, but please ensure your answers are your own words. We recruit people, not robots!

Key Dates

15 March 2026               Applications Close

April 2026                       Interviews for shortlisted applicants

April/May 2026               Placements offered

July/August 2026           Placements commence