What's a law apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships have been gaining momentum in the legal sector for the past couple of years. The traditional route to being a lawyer has been challenged by, among other things, the rise of legal executives, increasing paralegal numbers, alternative business structures and most recently the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

Combine this with university tuition fee hikes, which further increase the appeal of starting a career in law without the need for an expensive degree, and it's plain to see that the legal landscape is currently undergoing a massive shake-up.

Find out more about the SQE via LCN’s SQE hub, sponsored by the University of Law.

Apprenticeships enable you to ‘earn while you learn’, gaining professional legal qualifications while working in paid employment at a law firm or in-house legal team. You can qualify as a solicitor through the apprenticeship route, meaning that this is a viable alternative to university and its associated tuition fees. 

Over the years an increasing number of firms have pledged their support to external apprenticeship schemes or have launched their own. Apprenticeships are certainly here to stay.

More than 50 City law firms are a part of an apprenticeship initiative, City Century, which aims “to revolutionise the legal landscape by empowering students from diverse backgrounds to pursue a career they may have never thought possible”.  

Find out more about this initiative via LCN’s News.

As well as several firms introducing new graduate solicitor apprenticeships in line with the SQE, the number of firms offering solicitor apprenticeships is also on the rise. For example, four out of five magic circle firms are running or have plans to run solicitor apprenticeships. Both Linklaters LLP and A&O Shearman have ongoing programmes, and Slaughter and May and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP are both set to welcome their first cohorts in 2025.

You can read more about the changes via LCN’s News and find out about the difference between a solicitor and graduate apprenticeship via this LCN Says.

On top of the movement on the solicitor side of the profession, there has also been increased talk regarding barrister apprenticeships. In December 2024, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education published the Barrister Apprenticeship Standard. Currently, the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register is waiting for a suitable end-point assessment organisation to join for the facilitation of barrister apprenticeships to be possible.

Find out more about the progress with barrister apprenticeships and the Bar Standards Board via LawCareers.Net.

What’s a law apprenticeship?

A paralegal or solicitor apprenticeship, for example, combines paid work and training at a law firm with part-time study for professional qualifications. It’s an alternative path to going to university that offers the same career destinations but avoids the expensive fees. Some apprenticeships take 18 months to complete, but the more advanced levels provide training over five or six years – around the same amount of time as it would take to qualify through the university route. Aspiring lawyers can start out as a paralegal apprentice before progressing onto a solicitor apprenticeship to qualify as a solicitor.

Apprenticeship levy

In April 2017 the government introduced the apprenticeship levy, which means that all businesses that make more than £3 million a year must spend a proportion of their profits on training apprentices. Many law firms have launched their own ‘trailblazer’ apprenticeship schemes to open the doors of their businesses and allow aspiring lawyers to join the firm without going to university. However, recently the government announced plans to make changes to the levy, which would impact the way level 7 solicitor apprenticeships are funded. Law Society President Richard Atkinson has criticised this decision, explaining that apprenticeships “provide a route into a legal career that has previously not been open to many from low socioeconomic backgrounds.”

He added: “Maintaining level 7 apprenticeships is critical to continuing the levels of investment in training across the legal services sector, [and will] not only aid in growing the legal services sector, but also ensure that England and Wales remains an international jurisdiction of choice.”

Who can become an apprentice?

To become an apprentice, you must be 16 or over, not in full-time education and a UK citizen/someone who has right of residency in the UK. Most legal apprenticeships require five GCSEs (or equivalent) graded A* to C (9 to 4), while many paralegal apprenticeships also require two to three A levels graded C or above. The solicitor apprenticeship usually requires three A levels graded B or above (or equivalent work experience) – although minimum grade requirements may vary.

The graduate apprenticeship has been designed for, you guessed it, graduates so is open to those who’ve completed a law degree or a Graduate Diploma in Law.

How much will I earn?

As of April 2025, the national minimum wage for an apprentice is £7.55 an hour for people aged under 19, as well as for people aged over 19 who are in the first year of their apprenticeship.

You must be paid at least the minimum wage rate for your age if you’re an apprentice aged 19 or over and have completed your first year – so that’s £10.00 for those under the age of 21 and £12.21 for those aged 21 and older. That said, employers in the legal services sector will usually pay significantly more than that.

Read this Feature to find out more about the different types of legal apprenticeship.

Where can I find legal apprenticeship vacancies?

If you’re looking for legal apprenticeship opportunities across the UK, head to our list of current vacancies. You can use our search tool to search for the types of apprenticeship you’re interested in, in the area you’d like to work.

Want to know more?

Read The Law Apprenticeships Guide 2025 online for more information about the different legal apprenticeships you can do and their qualifications.

Meet Cyril, a solicitor apprentice at Mayer Brown.

Meet Josh, a solicitor apprentice at law firm RPC.

Plus, take a look at our checklist of skills you’ll need to become a legal apprentice.