What is a solicitor apprenticeship?

I first came to Boyes Turner on a work experience placement in May 2022 while studying law at college. I knew I wanted a career in law and had looked into university as well as alternative routes to qualification, such as apprenticeships. After carrying out some research I was set on the apprenticeship route and applied for a number of apprenticeships, I also came back to Boyes Turner for a second round of work experience to confirm this decision. After experiencing the welcoming atmosphere at the firm and speaking to the many lovely people I met, I knew that Boyes Turner was somewhere I would like to work, so reached out to show my interest. This was followed by multiple discussions, interviews, and an assessment day before I was offered the job – I have now completed my first year as a solicitor apprentice.

What is a solicitor apprenticeship?

The Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship offers an alternative qualification route which involves completing both a degree and the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (“SQE”) while working as an apprentice in a law firm. This takes six years to complete: the first five years contribute towards the law degree, and the final year is when SQE 1 and SQE 2 are sat. All study costs are covered by the firm, and apprentices receive a salary. The structure of the six years varies by firm, however I am starting my apprenticeship in the corporate group where I will stay for three years before moving around the firm's practice areas for different ‘seats’ to experience other areas of law and help me decide where I would like to qualify.

The main benefit of solicitor apprenticeships is the opportunity to gain practical experience in a law firm, rather than just in theory at university. I have already gained a range of experience and made many valuable connections by starting my career at an early stage, all while avoiding student debt.

A week as a solicitor apprentice

Study day

Every Monday I am out of office for my study day where I work towards my LLB (Hons) in Law and Legal Practice with BPP University. So far, I have studied public law, contract law and land law modules, and I am currently studying childcare law, which is one of my elective modules. My study day involves completing ‘prepare’ work, where I read relevant legislation and make notes on PowerPoints and videos provided by my tutors. I then have to complete an ‘apply’ task in the virtual practice environment to apply the information I have learnt to a real life situation. Later in the day, I will have a workshop where my tutor will talk us through what we have learnt and provide various unseen tasks, usually involving group work: this is a great opportunity to ask any questions and catch up with people on my course. I spend the remainder of the day organising and filing my notes before logging off. Throughout the week, I also complete various consolidation tasks set by my tutor.

Working as a solicitor apprentice

For the remainder of the week, I work as an apprentice in the corporate group. On a typical week I will work in the office in Reading Tuesday – Thursday and work from home on a Friday, however this can vary. Spending the majority of my week in the office is beneficial as I am surrounded by my team and there are always opportunities to learn, whether that be in a specific discussion or just by overhearing conversations around me. Every Tuesday, we have our team meeting where we get to catch up on what we’ve been up to over the weekend before getting to the important matters such as our workload. I am given a wide variety of work in my role and have assisted on many of our corporate transactions. This can involve drafting ancillary documents for larger transactions and sometimes taking responsibility for the main transaction documents, such as an SPA, for smaller transactions. Each time I do a piece of work, I receive feedback from the solicitor supervising and gain a deeper understanding of the requirements of legal documents. I also often assist with completions, which can involve a variety of tasks from arranging the signing of documents to calculating and making stamp duty payments and making filings at Companies House.

Another significant element of my job is carrying out research, and I am often assigned research tasks or given time to complete training courses. For example, at the beginning of the year I completed a training course on how the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 made changes to the Companies Act 2006 – this is important to keep myself and the team up to date on relevant law. Throughout my first year as an apprentice, I have gained more responsibility and knowledge and I now regularly correspond with clients, building my professional skills. I also regularly have the opportunity to attend meetings with clients both online and in person.

While the work we do is evidently important, there is also a huge social element to being an apprentice. I have been involved in many events this year, from charity events such as bake sales, to taking part in firm quizzes and attending the summer and Christmas parties. These types of event have helped me build connections with a number of people across the firm and are of course lots of fun! I have also been building my external network during my time as an apprentice and have attended many networking events to make connections with other apprentices and professionals.

Conclusion

The first year of my apprenticeship has definitely been challenging, and it can be tough entering a professional environment at 18. However, it is an incredibly rewarding route to qualification, and I am so grateful for the opportunities it has provided me so far. I still have a long five years ahead of me before qualifying, but I can’t wait to see what the future holds.