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The legal industry has seen great change in recent years, not many as monumental as the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). It has redefined what it means to qualify in England & Wales and has opened many new avenues for aspiring lawyers to pursue.
One of the new avenues to qualification at Michelmores is to undertake a Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship. This is a 2-to-3-year scheme, similar to a traditional Training Contract, but you take the SQE preparation course and exams on a part time basis alongside working in various teams within the Firm. I am near the end of my second seat, currently in the Employment team, and I have highlighted below the key benefits that I have experienced on my Apprenticeship to date.
Applying theoretical learning to your practical work in real time
I was attracted to the aspect of balancing and applying my theoretical and practical learning to the real work I was undertaking at the Firm. On the Apprenticeship, you are taught the practical skills and expectations one would need to apply when working in actual practice through your SQE lectures. You can apply this knowledge in real time and schedule your seats to reflect the timetabled modules. I studied the Land law modules while I was in my Transactional Real Estate seat which was very beneficial to consolidate learning in a practical way. I am currently studying Business Law & Practice and Dispute Resolution which are very useful alongside my current Employment seat. This has increased my understanding of the subject matter through consistent practice and exposure. This will help me to become a successful lawyer in the long term.
Cultivating long term internal relationships throughout the process
Prior to starting the Apprenticeship, I was a Governance & Risk Paralegal at the Firm for one and a half years. In this team I built a wealth of friends, mentors and connections within the internal Firm network. Outside of my study day, I am directly working alongside these colleagues during the week. Whenever I encounter any areas I do not understand, I could simply walk over to them in the office and ask for help, capitalising on their many years of qualified experience. It was very beneficial to be able to continue fostering these relationships without having to take a year out to study and risk them dissipating. I still feel so integrated into the Firm even while being a part time student.
Earn while you learn
A great benefit to the Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship at Michelmores is that you receive a salary and the Firm sponsors the SQE. In the past, many people have self-funded their LPC or SQE study by working part time if they were not sponsored. As an apprentice with Michelmores, I can focus completely on the programme without having to worry about using my salary to fund the preparation course or the exams.
Substantial autonomy in practice area choice
At Michelmores, you have the opportunity to tailor your apprenticeship to reflect your interests and future ambitions. The Firm is divided into three key practice areas – Private Wealth, Business and Real Estate. I discovered that I particularly enjoy transactional work and working with business clients. This meant I was able to apply for a business focused apprenticeship and choose seats such as Corporate or Employment to get the most exposure to what I would like to pursue.
Michelmores also gives you the opportunity to work in other sectors because the Firm values the importance of being well rounded and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I had an excellent experience in the Real Estate Department as it broadened my horizons before I moved to my first Business Department seat with Employment, which I am also thoroughly enjoying and hope to keep learning about in the future.
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