Apprentice Paralegal Review

On a daily basis, I correspond with individuals including clients, courts, counsel, other solicitors and internally. I prepare bundles and briefs to counsel to assist with hearings. As well as this, I am tasked with filing forms, including divorce petitions as per the clients instructions. I attend client meetings and hearings, which is my favourite part of the role.

I have developed my verbal and written communication skills during the course of my apprenticeship. I communicate with a variety of individuals on a daily basis and so it was inevitable that I would be able to improve these skills. I have definitely developed my confidence in my abilities whilst I have been working.

I love my apprenticeship. Although most of it has been working from home at this stage, I feel like a valued member of the team and a significant contributor to team objectives and targets. The variety of work that I undertake is precious experience, which is so valuable in an already saturated job market.

My programme is well structured. I take 20% of my working week as a study day (1 day a week) to focus on my assessments, assignments and knowledge. My programme is completely remote (even before the pandemic) and so that can have its troubles, however this does not impede on my overall apprenticeship experience.

I receive a good amount of support from my employer. I am kept up to date with cases and their progression and they take an interest in my apprenticeship and studies. As a firm, we get regular updates via email and have done since the start of the pandemic and otherwise. I think this is a great way to keep everyone working as a team.

I receive support from my training provider. My Legal Assessor and Training is always happy to answer any queries that I have, and my webinar tutor takes great interest in my studies. It might be easier if we were working in our offices so physical visits from our LATs was possible, but obviously this is not possible at the moment due to lockdown.

I am shocked how much my studies correspond with my practical work. My studies are there to either introduce me to a new topic before I cover it in practice, or consolidate my knowledge. I feel much more confident with my job due to the studies that I undertake, as my studies act as constant revision.

During lock down, it has been difficult to take part in extra curricular activities, however the team has definitely made the best out of a bad situation. We conduct remote business development meetings within the firm and externally also, which generates a wider client base. We have undertaken social drinks events and chocolate tasting to celebrate team achievements.

Yes

Irwin Mitchell is a great place to work and is so supportive to young and upcoming members of the team. There are so many career progression opportunities at Irwin Mitchell which is fantastic from a training and continuous professional development perspective. Despite working from home, Irwin Mitchell continues to include young members of the team in a range of tasks and activities to make sure we are constantly learning.

Be yourself on the application. Avoid the generic mainstream 'hard working and organised individual' sentence on your personal statement. Make sure your statement is a true reflection of your personality and attitude to work. In the interview, if you have to do a presentation, make sure you have a genuine interest in what you present. Let your personality and interest shine through. Don't choose a topic just because you think its safe or will be well received. Think outside the box!