Apprentice Solicitor Review

My day to day role involves drafting legal documents such as letters of claim and witness statements as well as preparing pleadings including Claim Form, Particulars of Claim, Defences and N244 Application Notices. On an ad-hoc basis, i also draft N225 Request for Judgments and Schedules of Costs. I regularly make calls to Court and correspond with expert witnesses via email and prepare their instructions. The complexity and amount of work does vary and some days I find that i am under utilised.

I have developed my communication skills, both written and verbal by using the phone to talk to the Court and contact expert witnesses. My written communication has improved and I am now able to use and apply legal language competently and understand what legal terms mean and would be able to explain them to a lay person. From changing departments, i have been to various training sessions and during my time in catastrophic injury, attended various seminars on injury types to develop my understanding of them and the laws that apply in those fields.

I enjoy the day to day working experience and think it has been invaluable to work in a law firm and apply my knowledge in practice and see what life is actually like inside an international law firm. It can be difficult to juggle our workload with studies and at times, this can be a very stressful process, particularly near exam time when we have to revise.

The programme could be structured much better from both a work and study perspective. In work, the structure of the programme is constantly changing. Initially upon applying for the apprenticeship we were told that we would remain in the team we were in for 3 of the 5 years and then complete 4 6 month seat rotations in the final 2 years of the apprenticeship. Without warning or consultation, this was changed to 3 yearly rotations and 4 6 month seat rotations. The initial seat change was then delayed by a number of months because it had not been decided what teams we would move in to and we found this out at very late notice. The team i am currently in is not structured very well and complaints have been made regarding a lack of work and support. There have been a number of problems with the training provider such as unrealistic deadlines and being given the incorrect exam papers.

There is only one apprentice manager in the HR team and she is responsible for all of the apprentices in the business meaning she is not always available when needed. If we have any issues regarding the programme, it does not feel like there are any more senior members of staff who can help us, apart from our own supervisors but if the issue is about them, it leaves you with little options. I have always found my team supervisors to be very supportive and to help me with any queries and have supported me when i have ever raised any issues.

Little support is provided by the training provider. We complete a distance learning course meaning our classes are done via an online classroom. Some tutors do more for students than others and will go above and beyond but others seem to do the bare minimum and offer little by way of help or guidance. When these issues have been raised, the university has done its best to provide guidance where tutors have failed to do so. We are individually allocated a portfolio coach who is very helpful and always on hand if we have queries with regards to completing the work required for our portfolio. We are also allocated a supervisor at BPP but there is very little contact with them. Meetings are rare and unless we email them with an issue, we don't seem to have any contact. Quarterly review meetings used to be held to check in on our progress and wellbeing but these no longer seem to be taking place.

Some of the modules we study as part of our qualification help and aid understanding of the law. I found that studying civil litigation whilst working in CAT PI helped as i had a basic understanding to apply to my work but it does not necessarily help us with the day to day jobs we are asked to do. Other topics such as contract and public law did not apply to my role at the time when i was studying them so it is hard to comment on those.

On the last Friday of each month our work put on an internal networking event and free drinks in our office bistro where staff can attend and mingle. There are lots of CSR and volunteering events to get involved in and we are encouraged to sign up to MTSG and get involved with their events too. As work have there own foundation, there are lots of sponsored activities to be involved in to raise money such as 10ks. Work are also involved in the local community and take part in lots of local events such as the LGBT parade.

Yes

Overall, whilst the structure of the apprenticeship has fluctuated for me, this has now settled down and a clear structure is now in place. It could have been better organised but as we are the first group of apprentices to undertake this, there have been some teething problems. It is a great place to work. There are opportunities for everybody and it is a very inclusive place to be. There are lots of social events to be involved in and you are very much given a hands on approach to work and are trusted to do complex, interesting work. The opportunity to do seat rotations is a positive as it allows you the opportunity to experience different areas of law and to find out what you like best. Supervisors are very supportive and understand the apprenticeship and work you are required to do in order to fulfil the portfolio.

The application process can be tough as it is quite complex and you will be asked to do an assessment centre, interview and grammar test. Be prepared to work hard and gain invaluable experiences and embrace the opportunities you are given. Ensure that you agree to and share the values of the company and know how important they are to other staff members.