The Legal Cheek View
Launched in 2020 to open up diverse pathways into the profession, Lewis Silkin’s solicitor apprenticeship programme recruits two school-leavers to their London office biannually. The programme is built on allowing apprentices to get practical experience with lawyers in the firm’s distinctive media and employment specialisms from day one. This includes opportunities in commercial and real estate deals, trademarks and IP, employment law, immigration, or the nitty-gritty of dispute resolution. The client list is similarly diverse, from household names and multinationals, to start-ups, to small businesses — and even other law firms!
Apprentices spend four days a week at work, with one day of study and join up with the firm’s trainee cohort in year five. All this means that, besides an LLB under your belt and your SQE done, you’ll have over six years of paid legal experience before qualifying as a solicitor.
And what goes on in those four days a week? Well, it’s supportive on-the-job training, meaning you can expect to begin with legal research, liaising with clients, and admin tasks. Yet, as they develop their lawyerly skills, apprentices will begin to tackle more complex research, work on technical transactions, and begin drafting legal documents — all while growing client-facing and negotiation skills.
The first four years of Lewis Silkin’s apprenticeship programme are made up of two two-year seats, allowing apprentices to really familiarise themselves with two of the firm’s core practice areas alongside working towards their LLB. The firm has revealed that from third year onwards solicitor apprentices will have the opportunity to experience a client secondment — a particularly exciting offer from Lewis Silkin, whose clients include exciting tech companies, top fashion brands and media titans. In years five and six, apprentices will join the firm’s training contract seat rotation, rotating between seats on a six-monthly basis while swotting up for the SQE.
While there is a lot to learn, you will be supported from the start. As well as your fellow rookie(s), all apprentices will enjoy a dedicated supervisor to help managing workload and support you in your professional development. On top of this is a network of mentors and buddies, meaning there are friendly faces on hand at every turn to offer advice and guidance as you navigate the legal world. For those struggles inside and outside work that may be a little more personal, everyone at Lewis Silkin has access to the employee assistance programme and to the firm’s counsellor. On the more casual side, team-building is big at Lewis Silkin, and this means everything from DEI and responsible business activities to regular social events.
To be considered, the programme requires ABB or equivalent at A-level, plus five GCSEs or equivalent qualifications — including English and maths. The key skills Lewis Silkin look for include communication skills, an eye for detail and organisation, plus creative and analytical thinking. It’s important too that candidates can demonstrate they’re a top team player who is able to execute instructions all the while staying motivated with a strong commitment to learning the ropes so they’re ready to provide excellent client service from the moment they qualify.