Our Solicitor Apprenticeship

Our Solicitor Apprenticeship offers the opportunity to qualify as a solicitor while gaining hands-on experience whilst achieving a law degree & completing the SQE. Designed to help you realise your potential, you will be equipped with the skills to deliver client excellence and work in a creative, collaborative & commercial way.

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

The structure of the programme:

Years 1-2

• First 6 months: Get to know the firm in one of our Business Services teams, such as HR or Governance and Risk.
• Next 18 months: Join a legal team, starting in an administrative role before progressing to a Paralegal position.

Years 3-4

• Complete two one-year seats in different legal teams, continuing as a Paralegal while taking on increasing levels of responsibility.

Years 5-6

• Follow the same structure as our Training Contract programme.
• Complete four six-month seats, with the opportunity to have greater input into where you rotate.

By the end of the programme, you'll be a qualified solicitor with a breadth of experience across a variety of legal teams.

Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll spend four days a week working alongside qualified lawyers and other professionals, with one day dedicated to studying at the University of Law.

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Michelmores LLP, 10 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6BN
• Michelmores LLP, Woodwater House, Pynes Hill, Exeter, EX2 5WR

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

THE UNIVERSITY OF LAW LIMITED

Training course

Solicitor (level 7)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Obtain relevant facts by effective questioning and active listening.
• Find, analyse, and assess documents to extract relevant information including recognising when additional information is needed, interpreting and evaluating information obtained, recording and presenting information accurately and clearly.
• Recognise when legal research is needed and use appropriate methods and resources including identifying, finding and assessing the relevance of sources of law, interpreting, evaluating and applying research results, recording and presenting findings of research accurately and clearly.
• Develop strategies and solutions including an understanding of a client’s commercial and personal circumstances, their needs, objectives, priorities and constraints.
• Provide advice which is informed by appropriate and factual legal analysis and identifying the consequences of different options.
• Draft documents from scratch and use precedents which address all legal and factual issues, complying with all formalities and using clear, accurate and succinct language.
• Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy in court and outside of formal court hearings including: effective preparation by identifying and mastering relevant facts and legal principles, organize facts to support an argument or position, present a reasoned argument in a clear, logical, succinct persuasive way, make appropriate references to legal authority, comply with formalities, deal with witnesses appropriately, respond effectively to questions or opposing arguments, identify strengths and weaknesses from different parties’ perspectives.
• Negotiate solutions to clients’ issues including: identify all parties’ interests, objectives and limits, developing and formulating best options for meeting parties’ objectives, presenting options for compromises persuasively, responding to options presented by the other side, developing compromises between options or parties.
• Plan and manage legal cases and transactions including applying relevant processes and procedures to progress matters effectively, assessing, communicating and managing risk, bringing a transaction or case to a conclusion.