Paralegal Apprentice Review

I work in a team called Managed Services and we pick up a range of work from any team across the Commercial sector of the business which does not have capacity to complete the work they have on and we have recently started picking up our own clients. Personally I work within the areas of Finance Litigation, Employment, Insured Litigation, Corporate and Banking. More specifically some of the tasks I pick up include drafting Letters Before Action, issuing money claims, drafting witness statements and letters of claims, seeking our clients instruction, collating bundles, chasing court and many more one off odd jobs!

I have learnt and developed many new skills. Some of the main ones which have been crucial in my job role include time management and organisation. These have been developed through being faced with a heavy workload when I'm busy at work as well as having exams on the study side of the apprenticeship. Sometimes this can be tricky to balance especially when your friends are all back from University it can be incredibly tough to find the time to do all the things you want but it is a learning curve to find what is right for you. I have also found that I am naturally a very relaxed and calm person which I wasn't really aware of prior to this apprenticeship but being placed in stressful situations and having the ability to remain level headed has turned out to possibly be the most important trait I have developed.

I greatly enjoy my programme! Overall it has been an excellent experience and I know one thing I was personally concerned about was "how do I know if I want to do law this early" and I didn't and as it happens, I don't and I am moving on to something entirely different next. However, that does not mean that I regret taking this route as I have met great people along the way and learnt many important life skills that I believe will equip me very well and give me an advantage over my peers in the future.

The structure is very clear and organised on my programme. We are regularly updated by both DWF and our training provider of anything that is coming up that we need to be aware of. It is highly unlikely that anything will be missed with the regular updates we receive along with the network of other apprentices that DWF boasts as apprentices talk to each other often and help out all the time.

Everyone at DWF is very happy to help with any questions you may have, just don't be afraid to ask them! Particularly during this coronavirus pandemic when everything is up in the air, DWF have been incredibly helpful in answering any queries and doing their best to re-assure us that everything is going to be fine and we have been regularly updated with how things will be changing. For me, my circumstances were a little different and DWF have been very accommodating to that and they have been able to make arrangements in order to work around what suits me best.

My training provider has been great. Most of the classes we attend are done online but we do have a face to face day each term and you are encouraged to go in to the training providers physical location whenever you like. If you would rather work from home this is not a problem as the tutors are readily available to help and have done so many times for me!

I would say this depends on the area of law you work in whilst at the firm. For me, the qualification was very relevant to some areas like Litigation as one of the optional modules is Civil Litigation so this was directly applicable when working in these areas and there were times throughout where with things in work I would suddenly get a lightbulb moment or something would click because I had done it in work and it made sense all of a sudden. The optional modules are in place with the thought process in mind that you can choose the modules which re-enforce what you do in work best.

When you start at DWF you get signed up for MTSG which is a professional networking society for apprentices and trainees in law. They set up regular events ranging from social activities like junkyard golf to holiday trips in Europe! On the last Friday of the month there is also a social event called Fridge Friday in which the firm provide alcohol and soft drinks to anyone that wants it and that's a great way to meet others. There are also quizzes hosted and within my team we often play 5 a side and do pub quizzes after work. There are also nights out that get arranged and the firm hosts a Christmas and Summer party which is great fun.

Yes

It's a great environment where I have been able to develop and learn about myself as a person, I have met some incredible people and have made some belting friends. Despite not continuing down this path there have been excellent opportunities for progression and you receive responsibility which is more than can be said for a lot of apprenticeship schemes and you are treated with the level of respect which your work warrants which is a very positive environment to work in.

I know there is a common misconception that within the legal profession that you need to be quite posh and use very flowery language and more often than not, act in an alien manner to get in and fit in. However this is absolutely not the case at DWF so I would encourage you to do your research ahead of applying and interview but just be a normal person, be yourself and let that do the rest of the work. They will see straight through fake behaviour and at the end of the day you need to prove that you can get on with an office full of other normal people so just be yourself and you will be fine!