L7 Solicitor Apprentice (Watson Farley & Williams LLP)

Summary

Our Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme is a career pathway for people seeking to qualify as a solicitor without having to attend university full-time. The programme lasts six years, during which time you will be working across a range of teams, whilst studying one-day a week with BPP University Law School.

Annual wage: £26,000 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Solicitor (level 7)
Hours: Monday to Friday, Shifts to be confirmed.
35 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 1 September
Duration: 6 years
Positions available: 2

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

Throughout the six years, you will earn a competitive salary and we will also cover your entire tuition fees. Furthermore, you will receive guidance and feedback from your work-based supervisor, as well as ongoing support from a dedicated BPP Study Coach. At the end of the programme, you will obtain an LLB (Hons) law degree and the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (“SQE”), giving you the same qualifications as our trainee solicitors
Solicitor apprentices will spend their first 12 months based in business function teams – such as risk and compliance, knowledge and information and research. Here, you will develop your knowledge, gain transferable skills and broaden your understanding of how law firms operate
Over the following three years, you will have the opportunity to spend 12 months in several different practice areas including real estate, corporate, asset finance or dispute resolution. Throughout these rotations you will gain valuable experiences whilst developing your legal skills
Typical tasks include legal research, engaging with clients, assisting fee earners with tasks, document management and article writing. For the final two years, you’ll rotate practice groups every four months. At this point there will be an opportunity to spend four months based in one of our international offices

Where you’ll work

15 Appold Street

London

EC2A 2HB

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 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LIMITED

Your training course

Solicitor (level 7)

Equal to master’s degree

Course contents

Obtain relevant facts by effective questioning and active listening.
Find, analyse, and assess documents to extract relevant information including recognising when additional information is needed , interpreting and evaluating information obtained, recording and presenting information accurately and clearly.
Recognise when legal research is needed and use appropriate methods and resources including identifying, finding and assessing the relevance of sources of law, interpreting, evaluating and applying research results, recording and presenting findings of research accurately and clearly.
Develop strategies and solutions including an understanding of a client’s commercial and personal circumstances, their needs, objectives, priorities and constraints.
Provide advice which is informed by appropriate and factual legal analysis and identifying the consequences of different options.
Draft documents from scratch and use precedents which address all legal and factual issues, complying with all formalities and using clear, accurate and succinct language.
Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy in court and outside of formal court hearings including: effective preparation by identifying and mastering relevant facts and legal principles, organize facts to support an argument or position, present a reasoned argument in a clear, logical, succinct persuasive way, make appropriate references to legal authority, comply with formalities, deal with witnesses appropriately, respond effectively to questions or opposing arguments, identify strengths and weaknesses from different parties’ perspectives.
Negotiate solutions to clients’ issues including: identify all parties’ interests, objectives and limits, developing and formulating best options for meeting parties’ objectives, presenting options for compromises persuasively, responding to options presented by the other side, developing compromises between options or parties.
Plan and manage legal cases and transactions including applying relevant processes and procedures to progress matters effectively, assessing, communicating and managing risk, bringing a transaction or case to a conclusion.
Obtain relevant facts by effective questioning and active listening.
Find, analyse, and assess documents to extract relevant information including recognising when additional information is needed , interpreting and evaluating information obtained, recording and presenting information accurately and clearly.
Recognise when legal research is needed and use appropriate methods and resources including identifying, finding and assessing the relevance of sources of law, interpreting, evaluating and applying research results, recording and presenting findings of research accurately and clearly.
Develop strategies and solutions including an understanding of a client’s commercial and personal circumstances, their needs, objectives, priorities and constraints.
Provide advice which is informed by appropriate and factual legal analysis and identifying the consequences of different options.
Draft documents from scratch and use precedents which address all legal and factual issues, complying with all formalities and using clear, accurate and succinct language.
Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy in court and outside of formal court hearings including: effective preparation by identifying and mastering relevant facts and legal principles, organize facts to support an argument or position, present a reasoned argument in a clear, logical, succinct persuasive way, make appropriate references to legal authority, comply with formalities, deal with witnesses appropriately, respond effectively to questions or opposing arguments, identify strengths and weaknesses from different parties’ perspectives.
Negotiate solutions to clients’ issues including: identify all parties’ interests, objectives and limits, developing and formulating best options for meeting parties’ objectives, presenting options for compromises persuasively, responding to options presented by the other side, developing compromises between options or parties.
Plan and manage legal cases and transactions including applying relevant processes and procedures to progress matters effectively, assessing, communicating and managing risk, bringing a transaction or case to a conclusion.

Your training plan

Training TBC.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English and Maths (grade (A*-C/9-4 or equivalent))

A Level in:

Any 3 A levels (grade (A*-C/9-4))

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
Attention to detail
Analytical skills
Team working
Microsoft Office skills
Motivation
Resilient

Other requirements

When you join us, we offer access to a variety of benefits (with some subject to service rules and salary sacrifice, and/or bearing particular costs). These include: · Group personal pension scheme · Holiday buy scheme (to buy extra days of annual leave) · Life assurance · Annual interest-free season ticket loan · Employee assistance programme · Health cash plan · Annual flu vaccinations · Eye test/glasses · Critical illness cover · Private medical insurance · Dental insurance · Travel insurance · Give As You Earn · Cycle to work scheme · £250 contribution towards a sports club membership of your choice · Tastecard; and professional subscriptions. Group personal pension scheme.

About this company

Thank you for considering WFW as the home for the start of your career journey as a lawyer. We understand that you have a big decision on your hands, so, what do we think makes WFW a great platform for solicitor apprentices? We’re an international sector-focussed firm with specialist teams across our core sectors of energy, transport and associated infrastructure which you will get hands-on experience in during the programme. Our sector focus means you’ll be advising on deals that have a direct bearing on some of the most pressing issues the world is facing today – particularly in the area of energy transition which unites all of our core sectors. Clients recognise and value our industry knowledge, and exposure to this knowledge is part of the solicitor apprentice experience at WFW. We are also immensely proud of the culture we have at WFW. We value each and every one of our people and truly believe that with different perspectives we can create collaborative, innovative solutions for our clients that will impact how WFW grows and develops as a firm. As a solicitor apprentice – or any new member of the firm, we make sure that we get to know you – guaranteeing that you have everything you need to grow as a WFW lawyer. So, if the above sounds appealing, read on and find out more about life as a trainee at WFW and how your focus is our focus.

After this apprenticeship

Potential for a full time role in the company.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LIMITED

Megan Finn

meganfinn@bpp.com

0203 834 2872

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000284238.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 28 February

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Company’s application instructions

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