The Legal Cheek View
This is the Simmons & Simmons profile for those considering solicitor apprenticeships. Students looking to apply for training contracts should check out Legal Cheek’s main Simmons & Simmons profile.
Simmons & Simmons is an international outfit with a clear sector focus, concentrating its expertise across five key industries: asset management and investment funds; financial institutions; healthcare and life sciences; technology, media and telecommunications (TMT); and energy, natural resources, infrastructure and construction. With 21 offices spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US, aspiring apprentices can expect plenty of “juicy work” with an international flavour. Recruits are based either in the firm’s “stunning” Bristol office or at its London headquarters in Moorgate.
One Simmons apprentice knew they “wanted to become a solicitor since their A Levels”, so choosing the apprenticeship route was an easy decision to make. Going to university seemed a little on the risky side for this insider due to “the potential risk of failing to secure a training contract at the end of a degree”. So, he tells us, “the fact that the training contract is guaranteed on the apprenticeship was a huge plus”. Not to mention that “you can earn-as-you-learn” on the apprenticeship route. As a large international firm, the “wide presence across the world” that Simmons boasts is “really exciting,” he tells us. But for this tech-minded apprentice, his passion for “legal technology and the growth of AI in the profession” ultimately swayed his decision to join the firm, with a dedicated (and compulsory) seat in the firm’s legal technology department.
Recruits complete eight seats over the course of the six-year programme: their journey will start with a three-month stint in business services, followed by three 15-month rotations for the remainder of the first four years; apprentices then move on to the training contract, where they will undertake a further four six-month seat rotations around different practice areas of the firm. One apprentice, nearing the end of his first seat in real estate, says he’s noticed a marked difference in the level of responsibility he’s given as he has progressed. “It’s exciting to be trusted with important tasks within the team which makes my work a lot more fun and challenging,” he explains. “The tasks that I’m given are similar to trainee tasks, and I think that’s a huge benefit of being able to sit in one area for a whole 15 months.” Newbies are able to choose their preferred practice area for one of their first 15-month seats, with the other two being compulsory seats in the firm’s compliance and legal technology departments.
To complement “challenging” responsibilities, insiders praise the “amazing support” that’s “always there if and when you need it”. An apprentice tells us: “We have so much support at Simmons that sometimes it’s hard to make the most of all of it. We have a partner mentor who sticks with us throughout the entire apprenticeship, on top of a mentor in your department, a supervisor, and a buddy!”
The social scene at Simmons & Simmons isn’t bad either. With apprentices welcomed into the trainee socials, outgoing rookies can expect to join their graduate counterparts on various group activities. This is on top of the monthly firm drinks and networking events. On the difference between socialising as an apprentice and as a university student, one insider emphasises “the financials”. The key difference is that “we can afford to socialise,” he tells us, “so the financial side of the apprenticeship is quite beneficial in this regard”. Adventurous recruits may also have an opportunity to complete an overseas or client secondment during the final two years of the programme.
On the studying side, our insider gives the classic line: “it’s manageable to fit studying into one day a week, but it depends on your studying style”. He says, “personally, I like to prepare a little bit on the weekends — everyone works differently, and, for me, I like to make notes and be diligent with my studies”. So, “yes, sometimes studying creeps outside of the one allocated study day,” he confirms. Coming straight from school and studying a law degree entirely online can be admittedly “disorientating”, but it’s really “rewarding” to be able to “consolidate your learning in the workplace”. In terms of the course itself, “the way it’s structured is really brilliant” because it’s “very straightforward” and “there’s loads of useful resources”.
On what makes the Simmons apprenticeship shine, one insider says, “it’s the people”, adding: “They are amazing; they’re hard working, talented and incredibly approachable. It makes for a fun and friendly environment at work.” Secondly, he emphasises the structure of the programme: “the seat rotation pattern makes for a perfect foundation to become a great lawyer because you’re able to experience so many practice areas and for long enough to become a real asset within your team.”
One insider gives some application tips for hopefuls: “make sure you practise your psychometric tests and put some time and energy into building your commercial awareness. Both will help you move on to the interview stages of your applications.”
This is Simmons & Simmons’ Solicitor Apprenticeship profile. Read Simmons & Simmons’ full Legal Cheek profile here.