Legal Apprenticeship

BURGES SALMON LLP

Bristol, BS2 0ZX

Closes on Friday 15 November

Posted on 18 September 2024

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Contents

Summary

Our programme allows you to qualify as a solicitor by completing the Level 3 Paralegal and Level 7 Solicitor apprenticeships over six years. You will spend 4 days a week working at the firm under the supervision of qualified lawyers and 1 day studying for legal qualifications. During the apprenticeship, you will spend time in several legal areas.

Annual wage
£25,000 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Year 1 Paralegal - £25,000 Year 2 Paralegal- £27,000 Year 1 Solicitor - £30,000 Year 2 Solicitor -£34,000 Year 3 Solicitor £47,000 Year 4 Solicitor £49,000 Newly Qualified Solicitor - £72,000 *As of September 2024

Training course
Paralegal (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday 9:15am to 5:15pm, with an hour lunch break. Your study day (which is typically on a Monday) is blocked out and you will not be expected to take on any work for the firm on this day.

35 hours a week

Possible start date

Monday 15 September

Duration

2 Years

Positions available

4

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

  • Handling confidential client correspondence: Managing and organising sensitive communications with clients, ensuring confidentiality and accuracy
  • Conducting legal research: Investigating legal precedents, statutes, and regulations to support ongoing cases and provide accurate information
  • Checking attendance notes for any mistakes: Reviewing and correcting notes from meetings and court attendances to ensure they are error-free and comprehensive
  • Finding available court hearing dates: Coordinating and scheduling court appearances by identifying suitable dates for hearings
  • Billing: Preparing and managing invoices for legal services rendered, ensuring all billable hours and expenses are accurately recorded
  • Additionally, the work environment is highly collaborative, with ample support from colleagues. Apprentices are not relegated to mundane tasks; instead, they are actively involved in meaningful work. There’s always something new to learn, and the variety of tasks ensures a dynamic and engaging experience

Where you’ll work

One

Glass Wharf

Bristol

BS2 0ZX

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

BPP UNIVERSITY LIMITED

Your training course

Paralegal (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents
  • assist in administering procedures using most effective channels to progress caseloads.
  • conduct legal research using selected sources such as legal databases.
  • solve legal technical problems within their remit and escalating as needed.
  • present findings from legal research in line with organisational expectations.
  • assist in applying the principles of Law to stakeholder cases.
  • assist with legal matters and transactions within the organisation.
  • communicate using plain English to provide clarification and explanation of the legal process and standard legal terms.
  • organise and administer workflow such as legal files, case management and accounting systems to progress work within service level expectations.
  • carry out file management activities such as prepare and collate bundles, take and file accurate notes, close and review files, maintain databases and version control.
  • use a range of digital tools and technologies, for example to draft legal documents, conduct legal research, carry out data analysis and collaborate with others.
  • apply fraud protection measures and cyber security procedures in relation to transactions, keeping up to date with approaches.
  • undertake activities to ensure a clear picture of a stakeholder’s needs and risks throughout legal transactions.
  • assess risks and benefits to the stakeholder of different options and making recommendations to senior team members to ensure that they work in the stakeholders’ best interests.

    • Your training plan

    • You will spend 4 days a week working at the firm under the supervision of qualified lawyers and 1 day studying towards formal legal qualifications online. Throughout the apprenticeship you will have the opportunity to spend time in several of our legal departments, which will provide you with the breadth and depth of experience needed to succeed as a qualified lawyer
    • Our training provider is BPP University
    • During your first 2 years you will work towards a Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship, and with some additional study, a Certificate in Legal Practice, set at Level 4 (equivalent to the first year of university). This additional qualification allows you to jump onto the solicitor programme at a later stage
    • Those with the ability and inclination to continue onto the Level 7 solicitor programme will achieve a law degree as part of the path to qualification. The end point assessment of the solicitor apprenticeship is the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam, which all aspiring solicitors will have to take from 2021

    More training information

    • BPP University is part of the BPP Group and is a distinct legal entity with its own degree-awarding powers. With a dedicated management team, it has a responsibility for upholding high standards of governance, educational provision, resourcing and quality assurance
    • You will learn via live teaching and performance coaching, professional workshops and work based projects

    Requirements

    Essential qualifications

    GCSE in:

    • grades 4 and above are essential. (grade 6 in Maths and English)
    • Any (grade 3 x Bs or 120 UCAS points)

    Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

    Skills

    • Communication skills
    • IT skills
    • Attention to detail
    • Customer care skills
    • Analytical skills
    • Logical
    • Team working
    • Initiative
    • Non judgemental

    Other requirements

    If you are successful in reaching the final selection stage, you will need to be able to commit to attending a work experience week from 17- 21 February 2025 at our Bristol office. As a firm, we are committed to providing an equal experience for all. Therefore, Travel, (if necessary) accommodation and other expenses would be covered for this.

    About this company

    Burges Salmon is an ambitious, sustainable and inclusive firm that ensures its clients, people and wider communities flourish. We are headquartered in Bristol, however we also have offices in Edinburgh and London. Our vision is to be the market-leading independent UK law firm that provides the best proposition for its people and its clients. By focusing on the markets and areas of expertise where we have extensive knowledge and experience, we achieve the best outcomes for our clients, who range from large organisations, entrepreneurial businesses and public sector bodies, to individuals, families and their global wealth. We are trusted to help them with everything from their everyday legal needs to their business critical issues and all points in between. UK-wide: We have lawyers who are qualified to work in all three legal jurisdictions in the UK – England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. International: Across the world, we work with a select number of like-minded independent law firms – our Preferred Law Firm network.

    https://www.burges-salmon.com (opens in new tab)

    Company benefits

    Competitive Salary, Generous Annual Leave allowance, Pension, Life Assurance, Family-Friendly Benefits, Private medical insurance, Flexible Working, Employee Assistance Programme, Subsidised Sports Clubs and Memberships, On-site GP

    Disability Confident

    Disability Confident

    A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

    You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

    After this apprenticeship

    • Those with the ability and inclination to continue onto the Level 7 solicitor programme will achieve a law degree as part of the path to qualification. The end point assessment of the solicitor apprenticeship is the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam, which all aspiring solicitors will have to take from 2021
    • You will then be a Newly Qualified Solicitor, and can apply for a role as a Solicitor in a legal area either at Burges Salmon or elsewhere

    Ask a question

    The contact for this apprenticeship is:

    BURGES SALMON LLP

    Jess McGee

    Jess.McGee@burges-salmon.com

    07977669356

    The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000277641.

    Apply now

    Closes on Friday 15 November

    When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

    After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.