The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a key role in the fight against serious and organised crime in the UK. As a trainee within NCA Legal you will get the opportunity to work on a wide range of issues, from seizing assets to advising on live operations.
Training at the NCA is a unique experience. It offers you the opportunity to develop a wide breadth of legal knowledge and experience – and importantly, within a culture that ensures you will be supported, challenged and valued. As a trainee you will normally undertake four seats across the two years.
Within our Civil Litigation Team, you will have the opportunity to work on a range of matters which could include judicial reviews, civil claims, family court disclosure, inquests and public inquiries, and to work with colleagues across the Agency. During my seat I spent time in the Court of Appeal, working with senior KCs and was given an opportunity to work on my own caseload supervised by a senior lawyer.
Within Financial Disruptions Litigation, you will work on a collection of high-profile asset recovery cases. These are usually fast-paced, and offer a great opportunity for trainees to work closely with senior lawyers and counsel at an early stage. Cases often involve forfeiture of high-value assets such as property, bank accounts and crypto assets, and provide trainees with an opportunity to work alongside international partners.
As part of our Data and Operational Advisory Team, you will provide legal advice to teams across the Agency. This means that the caseload in this seat can be incredibly broad, allowing you to advise on ongoing operations, international liaison, extradition and data sharing. In this seat you will come to understand the incredible range of work the NCA undertakes, and how your role is pivotal to protecting the public.
Trainees have a number of options for their final seat. This may include a chance to be seconded outside the Agency. Past trainees have worked in the Home Office to gain policy experience, advising ministers on the passage of bills through Parliament. Other trainees, like myself, have used their third seat to gain experience in a different team within NCA Legal. These include Commercial and Employment, who advise on employment matters including tribunals, and advise the Agency in relation to its commercial dealings, including public procurement. Finally our Disruptive Actions Litigation, who advise on disruptions to criminal activity including civil orders and sanctions.
This is an especially exciting and rewarding time to join the NCA. The Government has announced plans to reform policing through the creation of a new National Police Service, encompassing the NCA, counter-terrorism and national policing functions. These developments underline the growing importance of national policing and legal expertise. Recruitment through the GLP trainee scheme is unaffected and we look forward to welcoming our 2028 cohort. While the precise structure of training seats may evolve alongside future reforms, trainees can expect a high‑quality and varied training experience within a dynamic and evolving organisation.