Solicitor Apprenticeship as Non-Law Student

4

Hi!
I am a current first-year at the University of Edinburgh studying English Literature and History. I am an international student from the U.S., and when I applied last fall, I had planned on completing my undergrad here and then moving back to the U.S. for law school. I am not fully set on pursuing a legal career in the U.S. anymore and am considering doing a law conversion following my degree and remaining in the UK. I am wondering whether I can apply to solicitor apprenticeships as a first-year non-law student and whether doing so will benefit me. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Reply 1

UniofLaw Student

Official Rep

10

Original post by emmalone455

Hi!
I am a current first-year at the University of Edinburgh studying English Literature and History. I am an international student from the U.S., and when I applied last fall, I had planned on completing my undergrad here and then moving back to the U.S. for law school. I am not fully set on pursuing a legal career in the U.S. anymore and am considering doing a law conversion following my degree and remaining in the UK. I am wondering whether I can apply to solicitor apprenticeships as a first-year non-law student and whether doing so will benefit me. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Hi! It's great that you're exploring all your options, and it sounds like you're keeping an open mind about where you might want to pursue your legal career, which is always a good thing.
As a first-year non-law student, it might be a little early to apply for solicitor apprenticeships, since most of these opportunities are aimed at school leavers or those who’ve already completed their undergraduate degree. However, getting some early legal work experience through internships, vacation schemes, or insight days would be hugely beneficial. This would give you a feel for the legal industry in the UK, help you make contacts, and boost your future applications for apprenticeships or training contracts.
If you’re considering a law conversion after your degree, such as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), that could be a really good path if you want to stay in the UK and qualify as a solicitor. It’s worth focusing on building up relevant experience during your time at Edinburgh—getting involved with societies, volunteer opportunities, or internships related to law will only help strengthen your applications later.
Even though solicitor apprenticeships might not be the right fit right now, staying proactive and looking into early legal experience will definitely benefit you in the long run!
Good luck, and if you need any more advice, feel free to reach out!. :smile:

Reply 2

Stiffy Byng

19

Original post by emmalone455

Hi!
I am a current first-year at the University of Edinburgh studying English Literature and History. I am an international student from the U.S., and when I applied last fall, I had planned on completing my undergrad here and then moving back to the U.S. for law school. I am not fully set on pursuing a legal career in the U.S. anymore and am considering doing a law conversion following my degree and remaining in the UK. I am wondering whether I can apply to solicitor apprenticeships as a first-year non-law student and whether doing so will benefit me. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Do you mean solicitor apprenticeships or vacation work experience schemes?

The former are multi-year programmes aimed at people who have not taken the conventional undergraduate route.

You would be unlikely to obtain a place on a vacation scheme before you have embarked or at least signed up for a PGDL, simply because firms are swamped by applications from people who are already studying law.

If planning to obtain a PGDL, then do what the law undergraduates do, but one year later than they do it.

At some point during your time at Edinburgh, start going to law society events. If you have time during your second or third years, maybe sit in on some of the intro lectures given to first year law students, just to get a taster. Maybe try both the Scots law intro and the common law intro (the law of Scotland differs from the law of England in much the same way as the law of Louisiana differs from the law of New York).

Perhaps also read Learning The Law by Glanville Williams and/or Letters To A Law Student by Nick McBride. If you haven't yet read The Rule Of Law by Tom Bingham, it's a good read.

Solicitor Apprenticeship as Non-Law Student

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