The better alternative? Why I chose a different path to a career in law

About me

I joined Norton Rose Fulbright in September 2021 as a Solicitor Apprentice within our Litigation and Disputes practice group. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work on several disputes projects with a number of Partners across the firm.

The start of my apprenticeship marks the first (full-time) stage on the career pathway, having only previously worked a part-time role alongside my A-levels. It also marked my first experience in the office of a global, commercial law firm. This was an unfamiliar environment for me being a state school educated first-generation university student, from a non-traditional background.

What are solicitor apprenticeships?

Roughly six years ago, several law firms came together with the Solicitors Regulation Authority to develop a pioneering legal apprenticeship, enabling school leavers to qualify as solicitors without attending university as a full-time student.

Apprentices have 20% of their working week reserved for study time, which means they will likely work four days a week with one day off for studying. Study time includes attending workshops, completing coursework and consolidating learning. During their study time, Solicitor Apprentices work towards completing an LLB law degree, before preparing for, and sitting, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

Following successful completion of their LLB and SQE, apprentices will qualify as solicitors with equal standing to their university counterparts. More details of the Solicitor Apprenticeship programme can be found here.

Advantages of apprenticeships

Choosing an apprenticeship over university can have a number of advantages, some of which are:

• Networking – As an apprentice you have the opportunity to build career-long connections from the get-go!
• Financial benefits – The training costs of the apprenticeship are paid by their firm. This means that upon qualification an apprentice will have no university debt – something often seen as a barrier to the legal profession.
• Experience – Whilst at university you learn the law, as an apprentice you have the chance to apply (and potentially help make) the law in your day-to-day role.

What do solicitor apprentices do?

At Norton Rose Fulbright, the Solicitor Apprentice cohort are integrated with, and work alongside, our legal teams and Trainee Solicitors. This means that we have the opportunity to work on a broad range of legal matters for our clients.

Day-to-day tasks could include drafting legal agreements, attending meetings with colleagues and clients, drafting meeting minutes, visiting court or a barrister’s chambers, and so much more!

In March 2022, I had the opportunity to assist on a High Court trial with our disputes practice. It was an amazing opportunity to see how litigators build their case and the vast amount of time, passion and dedication that goes into ensuring that every element of the trial is meticulously planned.

In preparing for this trial, the legal team was incredibly busy: collating documents; familiarising our witnesses with the process of giving evidence; meeting with our counsel; organising and preparing to work away from the office; drafting correspondence and much more. As an apprentice, this was a great experience, I was able to help with different tasks and work with different lawyers in the team. For example, I was able to practise my writing skills by producing first draft correspondence to both the client and opposing counsel.

Are apprenticeships here to stay?

In short, yes! In 2022 Norton Rose Fulbright spearheaded the launch of a pledge to recognise UK legal apprenticeships as an equal pathway into a legal career, joining forces with a group of leading law firms to make the public commitment.

The pledge, which has been signed by 25 other firms across the UK, commits to recruiting and developing talent in line with a set of principles, to ensure that solicitor apprentices will be treated in an equivalent manner as those from the traditional training contract route throughout their careers.

In addition, the number of law firms offering apprenticeships is steadily increasing. In February 2023, The Lawyer reported that 40 law firms have “expressed an interest in participating in a new project to improve and increase the number of solicitor apprenticeship opportunities in the City of London.”

It is clear, therefore, that apprenticeships are here to stay.

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Jake Burke is a Solicitor Apprentice based in London. Jake joined Norton Rose Fulbright after completing his A levels. Since starting his apprenticeship in September 2021, he has worked on several disputes projects across a number of Norton Rose Fulbright’s key industry sectors. Jake is also a member of Norton Rose Fulbright’s social-mobility network, Advance.