Training contract, apprenticeship, self-fund SQE or paralegal – which route into the profession should I take?

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By Legal Cheek on

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Aspiring solicitor seeks help

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In the latest instalment of our Career Conundrums series, a career changer is exploring affordable and low-risk options for becoming a solicitor.

“Hi LC, I’m in a bit of a tough spot with my career and so I’m looking for some advice from the wider community. For context, I didn’t plan to study law initially. I completed an undergraduate degree (BSc Hons) (2:1) in Geography, a Postgraduate degree (MA) in Town Planning and I’ve recently completed and self funded the PGDL. I graduated with a distinction classification. However, now I’m at a bit of a crossroads as a career changer and could use some advice. The way I see it, I have four options:

1. Apply for traditional training contracts where the SQEs are funded. However, these are competitive, their requirements are rigorous and they seem more catered towards school leavers than they do career changers.

2. Apply for the emerging ‘apprenticeship’ routes with local government/civil service. These schemes, although they pay less than option 1, are less competitive and they still fund the SQEs.

3. Pay to sit the SQEs myself and perhaps a preparatory course.

4. Apply for paralegal roles and try to work up through a firm. There are no guarantees with this option, it feels inherently risky and I’d be taking a ~20k paycut from my current salary.

Any advice would be very welcome!”

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14 Comments

Good luck

I’d go for the traditional TC as a starting point – what have to got to lose by applying? You’d also be surprised how many firms value previous non-law experience.

Anon

Do not paralegal unless you are 10000% committed to becoming a solicitor and willing to put in potentially years of struggling to get by on minimum wage while your firm dangle the carrot of a TC. I found my firm (national, I was in a regional office) didn’t want to progress me to a TC or the alternative CILEX route on offer. Or not for a good few years anyway. This was not good enough for me as I could not afford to survive on the rubbish wage they were paying. They wanted to keep me as a paralegal for as long as possible as I was doing NQ associate work for 1/3 of the cost.

I have now turned to a career in a different field. Pay is far higher, the work is less stressful, and if I decide I want to work in law eventually, there is nothing stopping me from applying for a direct TC.

So my advice would be to stay where you are and just apply for a direct TC. Firms always say that any experience is good experience, it’s not necessary to paralegal in order to secure a TC and has no guarantees of qualification.

TT

Are apprenticeships open to mature candidates? I always thought they were geared toward school leavers

User106

My employer are sponsoring me qualifying as a solicitor using the apprenticeship route, and I’m 44! You will also find a lot of bigger firms are encouraging apprenticeships, the government pay 95% of the costs so it’s in their interests.

Alan

Please get a training contract. Ignore all the nonsensical virtue signally by law firms about apprenticeships, if you did one ultimately you would end up at a massive disadvantage with a so-called qualification not worth the paper its written on.

Anon

At least bother to do your research and check you are correct before wading in with your advice.

Solicitor apprenticeships law degree and incorporate the SQE assessments, leaving the apprentice qualified as a solicitor at the conclusion. Not sure which of the law degree, SQE or practising certificate is the one you think is not worth the paper?

I suspect the apprenticeship type this person mentions the one which allows concurrent study of SQE and working, leaving them qualified. So, again, worth it.

At this point magic circle, many US, silver circle, national etc firms are taking on solicitor apprentices and qualifying apprentices into NQ roles. And it’s not because it’s easier or cheaper for firms – the longer duration makes the cost per hire higher, even taking into account being able to use the levy for SQE fees. I think everyone can assume they’ve simply done more research than Alan in diversifying routes to access a broader pool of talent, rather than are virtue signalling.

Lawyer

This is awful advice. A solicitor apprenticeship gives you exactly the same qualifications as any other solicitor; often more. Combined with the extra work experience and I would say a former apprentice solicitor has an advantage over a non-apprentice solicitor.

Research graduate solicitor apprenticeships, and also look into the CILEX route to qualification.

Anonymous

Can you help to connect me with Law Firm that can give me TC or employe me and train me as solicitor, I have been searching for one since 2023, I have LLB(Law degree) fromOpen University.
Please, Kindly help.

Kirkland NQ

Let me break it down.

Want a Lambo > get TC at the ‘land > get a Lambo

Latham NQ

Clearly the original ‘Kirkland NQ’ has moved on from LC as the comment quality these days is pretty poor…

Anonymous

If Kirkland can give me TC and sponsor my SQE, I will be with them for as long as they are still in business, and add to their value. I have LLB(Law Degree)

Anonymous

Given you’ve obtained a degree and subsequently done the PGDL you may not be eligible for an Apprenticeship in Law. If you self fund for SQE, you still need to obtain 2 years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) to be accepted by the SRA and the QWE can be obtained whilst working as a Paralegal. Some firms will even offer Legal Qualification Sponsorship internally. If you obtain a Training Contract, it’s likely to be offered to start in 2027, should you apply and be successful next year. The question is, if you continue your career further in Law, how quickly do you want to become qualified? My advice would be to obtain a Paralegal position. This way you can at least start to build your QWE should you opt to pursue the SQE qualification route and will give you additional experience that will be relevant to your future career.

LC

While in theory it would be good to get QWE as a paralegal, OP will likely want to think long-term. With trainees at top firm not being retained/having to qualify into a practice area they did not want to qualify in/have to move to much smaller firms to avoid unemployment, I do not think qualifying via QWE as a paralegal would be a good move as things currently stand. Realistically, with the NQ market as dire as it is, and top trainees being retained, I think it is highly likely that OP would struggle to secure an NQ role this way.

Anonymous

Hi,

I am in a similar position.

I have recently finished my Masters in Law (LLM) but my undergrad degree is BA (Hons) Social Work where I have been practicing as a social worker for the last 8 years in adults and children’s.

I thoroughly enjoy advocating for people in need and would love to know how to progress.

I’m interested in safeguarding adults and children, mental health law especially relating to mental capacity act/
Mental health act/ human rights act etc.

I currently work as a full time social worker in child protection. I feel like I am stuck.

As I don’t know how to proceed & I also don’t have an undergrad in law.

What could I do?

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