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Solicitor Apprenticeship

We are truly passionate about providing talented young people the opportunity to pursue a career in law. Through our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme, we will provide world-class training, ongoing development and financial support that will allow you to realise your full potential.

If you’re interested in a career in commercial law but don’t see yourself going to university then our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme may be for you. This programme is aimed at Year 13 students (or equivalent) and school leavers without a degree. The programme is open to anyone regardless of their socio-economic background

We are excited to be launching the third year of our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme. We are passionate about increasing access to the legal profession to students of all backgrounds and this is a fantastic way to provide new opportunities for talented young people across the UK. After the success of our first two intakes, we can’t wait to welcome a new cohort with their ideas and energy!

Rebecca McGregor,
Early Careers Partner

Programme details

Location: London.
Start date: September 2024.
Length of contract: Six years.
Salary: £28,000 first year (then increasing every year) plus an initial sign-on of £3000 to get you started.
Work/study pattern: One day study/four days on-the-job training per week.
Qualifications to be obtained: LLB Law Degree and SQE qualification to be an England & Wales Solicitor.
Eligibility: Predicted AAB at A-Level or equivalent; please note we will review each application in detail and take extenuating circumstances into account if you have not met this benchmark. Applicants must not have completed a degree and must have the right to work in the UK.
Apply: Applications for 2024 are now closed. We will open our 2025 opportunities in October

How it works

You’ll spend one day per week at university studying towards your degree. As a student you will attend sessions, workshops and events aimed at providing you with all the necessary knowledge to complete your qualification.

The rest of the week you’ll be working in our London office, where you will receive on-the-job training and learn the key skills you need to become a successful legal professional. You’ll be assigned to a legal practice area and will rotate every 12 months during the first four years to provide you with the opportunity to get to know different teams and different areas of commercial law. Throughout the six years, you’ll attend Linklaters’ legal training courses and have access to professional development sessions and events.

In each department, a Principal (a senior lawyer) will be on hand to train and supervise you. There will also be mentors and buddies available throughout the six years to provide career guidance and support to help you succeed!

Benefits and support

Starting salary of £28,000 (increases annually)
Sign on bonus £3000
27 days annual leave (plus birthday leave)
Health insurance
Subsidised office restaurant
Transport loan
Health and wellbeing resources and memberships

Application Process

Applications will open on 01 of October 2024 and will close on 31st January 2025.

The application process:

Online application form with motivation questions: You will need to fill out some personal information and answer some questions about your motivation for working at Linklaters and doing an apprenticeship.
Watson Glaser test (Logical reasoning): All candidates must complete the Watson Glaser test in order for their application to be considered. We recommend practicing this online prior to attempting the test.
Video interview and written exercise: If your application is successful, you will be invited to a video interview, along with being asked to complete a written exercise. This will further test your understanding of the firm, your motivation for working at Linklaters, the skills you would bring to the role and your communication skills.
Assessment centre: If you are successful in your video interview, you will be invited to an in-person assessment centre at the Linklaters London Office. Here you will complete a variety of tasks including partner interview, group exercise and written activity.

We will provide detailed feedback to all applicants attending the assessment day. We will also provide further information about each stage of the application process as you progress. If you'd like to contact a member of the Early Careers team about our application process, or require any reasonable adjustments, please email us at earlycareersuk@linklaters.com.

Applications for 2024 are now closed. We will open our 2025 opportunities in October 2024.

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