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Official Solicitor Apprenticeship Thread

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Yeah they said that to us too - good luck :smile:
Original post by HollyPowell123
At least it's not just me, i was fearing the worst! When did they say they'd let you know by? They said by the end of the week to us, so there is still time...
Original post by graceras1
Yeah they said that to us too - good luck :smile:


You too! Let me know when you hear anything! :smile:
Reply 82
Hi, I have very recently been successful in securing a solicitor apprenticeship with the CPS. I am 35 years old and have been with the CPS since I was 18. I just wondered how much time a week you dedicate to studying. I will be working 4 days and getting 1 day study time, all the extra will need to be done at night or on a weekend. We have 2 small children so this is going to be hard going! What does the work entail? How often do you submit assignments and do exams? Sorry for all the questions!
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 83
Original post by Swin84
Hi, I have very recently been successful in securing a solicitor apprenticeship with the CPS. I am 35 years old and have been with the CPS since I was 18. I just wondered how much time a week you dedicate to studying. I will be working 4 days and getting 1 day study time, all the extra will need to be done at night or on a weekend. We have 2 small children so this is going to be hard going! What does the work entail? How often do you submit assignments and do exams? Sorry for all the questions!

Hey there, congrats on getting your offer! The volume of uni work you have and the frequency of exams will vary between institutions as the three main providers (BPP, ULaw and City Law School) have different programme structures and teaching styles.

I'm a BPP first year at the moment and over the past year I have sat an exam (mocks and real things) on average every six weeks. Being completely honest with you, my study style leads me to revise only when the exam is very very close as I find it works for me, so the time I devote to those tests is quite minimal. Study days are Mondays for us so I have the added bonus of time off in lieu of bank holidays, I have saved up this time and have a week booked off before my final module exams later this month.

Normal work can easily be done in a single morning or afternoon preceding your lecture. There is usually between 30 and 40 minutes reading for me, including topic and case summaries, an hour or so of watching recorded lectures and then maybe another 30 minutes of completing activities (e.g. writing short answers to problem questions).

As you've got commitments outside of work, perhaps finding some time during your working day for uni prep would work in your favour. I sometimes use my lunch breaks if there is a lot of work to get through, or an hour after work on a Friday evening if I'm feeling motivated.

Feel free to PM me if you want any further info!
Reply 84
Thank you so much for your reply. I will definitely be able to fit some work into my working day at lunch time. My main concern is the impact on my work/life balance, I know it will be difficult but I hope it will be worth it in the long run. Are your exams on set days? Do you get holidays like at uni? I saw on another site that there were no holidays! That can’t be right.Thanks again
Reply 85
Original post by Swin84
Thank you so much for your reply. I will definitely be able to fit some work into my working day at lunch time. My main concern is the impact on my work/life balance, I know it will be difficult but I hope it will be worth it in the long run. Are your exams on set days? Do you get holidays like at uni? I saw on another site that there were no holidays! That can’t be right.Thanks again

Our exams are always scheduled for our study days so we don't need to book time off in theory. I hope that the CPS will do things by the book and stick to 20% of your week being out of the office for pure study. Some apprentices I've met, particularly those in-house, are expected to be in the office even on their allotted study days.

There are no holidays in the sense that we don't ever have a three month summer break. As we are part time already, we get a break from lectures of about 2 or 3 weeks at Christmas and maybe the same at Easter, with a week break from lectures after exams and other odd weeks off between modules beginning and ending.

We are expected to only go on holiday in weeks where we don't have lectures scheduled.

I would perhaps ask your course provider for their policy as obviously it varies from place to place. Or, try and find someone who is on the same course but a year or two ahead so you can ask them how the university does things in practice.

As for work life balance, I wouldn't worry. I can't say I balance a young family with my apprenticeship and studies, but it's not unheard of for people to do what you do and thrive.
Hi everyone,
I’m currently in Year 13 and have developed a strong interest in also doing a solicitor apprenticeship. I’ve been doing research but am still unclear on a few things:

1. How many years does it take to complete the degree portion of the apprenticeship + does the apprenticeship include doing the LPC and being a trainee?

2. When should I begin applying and how do I apply

There’s more that I’m still stuck about but it’d be greatly appreciated if I got a response back :smile:
Reply 87
Hi Sammie, you need to work for a solicitors who will offer you the apprenticeship. I was offered it through the CPS. It takes 6 years, after those 6 years you are fully qualified. No need to do the LPC, because of the on the job learning. Good luck

Original post by SamSammomoxxx
Hi everyone,
I’m currently in Year 13 and have developed a strong interest in also doing a solicitor apprenticeship. I’ve been doing research but am still unclear on a few things:

1. How many years does it take to complete the degree portion of the apprenticeship + does the apprenticeship include doing the LPC and being a trainee?

2. When should I begin applying and how do I apply

There’s more that I’m still stuck about but it’d be greatly appreciated if I got a response back :smile:
Reply 88
Original post by SamSammomoxxx
Hi everyone,
I’m currently in Year 13 and have developed a strong interest in also doing a solicitor apprenticeship. I’ve been doing research but am still unclear on a few things:

1. How many years does it take to complete the degree portion of the apprenticeship + does the apprenticeship include doing the LPC and being a trainee?

2. When should I begin applying and how do I apply

There’s more that I’m still stuck about but it’d be greatly appreciated if I got a response back :smile:


1. The duration of the apprenticeship is 6 years, with the degree part spread across all 6 years into small manageable chunks. As @Swin84 mentioned below, there is no need to do the LPC, as you will acquire the practical training from working for such a long period of time. You will be a 'trainee solicitor' in years 5 + 6.

2.Applications for some firms should be open now or very soon; just search solicitor apprenticeships on any search engine and you'll find loads of firms and organisations that offer them. Applications generally consist of an initial online application, online assessments, a telephone interview, a video interview and then the assessment day itself.
Original post by Haider_A
1. The duration of the apprenticeship is 6 years, with the degree part spread across all 6 years into small manageable chunks. As @Swin84 mentioned below, there is no need to do the LPC, as you will acquire the practical training from working for such a long period of time. You will be a 'trainee solicitor' in years 5 + 6.

2.Applications for some firms should be open now or very soon; just search solicitor apprenticeships on any search engine and you'll find loads of firms and organisations that offer them. Applications generally consist of an initial online application, online assessments, a telephone interview, a video interview and then the assessment day itself.

Thank you so much, this has helped me out a lot!
Original post by Swin84
Hi Sammie, you need to work for a solicitors who will offer you the apprenticeship. I was offered it through the CPS. It takes 6 years, after those 6 years you are fully qualified. No need to do the LPC, because of the on the job learning. Good luck

This has definitely made me less confused, thank you.
Original post by fcmcmurray
Hi all

@sophie_chu and I have seen a million and one odd threads about solicitor apprenticeships at specific firms or random questions being asked but never answered, so we thought we might as well start a central thread and get everyone thinking of applying for solicitor apprenticeships talking together rather than in splintered threads.

We're both first year apprentices at Withers LLP and students of the LLB in Legal Practice at BPP Holborn. Joining us are @EGowlettSSaber, half of our second year intake, who are equally keen to start sharing their experiences.

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you have about the application process, the pros and cons of apprenticeships and working life, etc.

Keep checking our twitter page for daily updates on our day to day experiences: https://twitter.com/withers_apprent

Thanks!

Hi I’m very interested in this but the only downside is missing out on the uni experience. How much free time would we get while doing this apprenticeship and what’s the social life like? With working, I tend to feel lonely a lot so I was wondering whether it’s been easy making new friends
Thanks
Hi, just wondering if you had to do a test before you got to the assessment stage for the Eversheds apprenticeship and if you did do one how difficult was it is it like the LNAT or easier and do you have any advice? Thank you.
Reply 93
Original post by Najma2468
Hi, just wondering if you had to do a test before you got to the assessment stage for the Eversheds apprenticeship and if you did do one how difficult was it is it like the LNAT or easier and do you have any advice? Thank you.

For Eversheds, the assessments took place at the assessment centre on computers.

It was largely similar to the LNAT, with MCQs and a longer essay, but there were a few numerical reasoning questions in there as well.
Hiya! Has anyone applied to Dentons or Ashurst for 2020? :smile:
Original post by Haider_A
For Eversheds, the assessments took place at the assessment centre on computers.

It was largely similar to the LNAT, with MCQs and a longer essay, but there were a few numerical reasoning questions in there as well.

Hi, thank you for the reply. Did you get a choice of essay questions and were they current affair ones or were they like your typical debate questions e.g 'should the death sentence be reinstated'. Thanks
Reply 96
Original post by Najma2468
Hi, thank you for the reply. Did you get a choice of essay questions and were they current affair ones or were they like your typical debate questions e.g 'should the death sentence be reinstated'. Thanks

If I remember correctly, there was a choice of 3 but they weren't the usual essay topics.
Hi!!! I have!! Have you heard anything back from Ashurst yet?
Original post by maddie022
Hiya! Has anyone applied to Dentons or Ashurst for 2020? :smile:
I've done the Ashurst and CMS tests a while back, recently got an invite to the CMS video interview which I am doing soon. Still waiting for Ashurst response and haven't heard anything from Clyde & Co since December 2019, not even online test.
Original post by my_man_123
I've done the Ashurst and CMS tests a while back, recently got an invite to the CMS video interview which I am doing soon. Still waiting for Ashurst response and haven't heard anything from Clyde & Co since December 2019, not even online test.

Hello

I recently got invited to CMS video interview too. I have not heard anything from C&C either and I have tried emailing but no response which is very odd.

How have you prepared for your VI?

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