Magic circle law firm to introduce solicitor apprenticeship from 2025

updated on 28 November 2023

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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is set to recruit its first solicitor apprentices in September 2025, joining Linklaters LLP and Allen & Overy LLP as the third magic circle law firm to embrace this alternative route.

There’ll be up to six apprentices on the programme who’ll be based at Freshfields’ London office. Their time will be split between working and studying, with apprentices gaining a law degree before sitting the Solicitors Qualifying Exam assessments and qualifying as a solicitor.

As part of this move, Freshfields is “delighted to be working with CityCentury” – a solicitor apprenticeship initiative, which is made up of more than 50 London law firms and aims to increase the number of solicitor apprentices entering the City of London. By 2024, CityCentury foresees that at least 100 new partners will have entered the profession via the solicitor apprenticeship route.

Earlier this year, Bird & Bird and Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP also recently introduced new solicitor apprenticeship programmes.