The Beginner's Guide to a Career in Law 2020

Apprenticeships

Paralegals

You don’t have to go to university to start a career in the legal profession – a legal apprenticeship provides the opportunity to gain qualifications while in paid work, through on- the-job training at a law firm. Legal apprentices can eventually become solicitors, chartered legal executives or paralegals without the tuition fees and living costs involved with going to university. Some types of apprenticeship 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. You don’t have to start paying a student loan back until you are in a job paying at least £25,000 a year, so high fees should not necessarily put you off higher education. But there are many reasons why you might decide that going to university is not right for you – and a legal apprenticeship is a genuine – and free – alternative. This section is a basic introduction to legal apprenticeships. To learn more, read the companion to this guide, The Law Apprenticeships Guide 2020 , which explains everything you need to know about the different types of apprenticeship. Pick up a free copy from your school or read it online at To become a legal apprentice, you must be 16 or over, not in full-time education and a UK citizen/someone who has right of residency in the United Kingdom. Most legal apprenticeships require candidates to have five GCSEs (or equivalent) graded A* - C, including maths and English. The paralegal apprenticeship requires at least two A levels, while the solicitor apprenticeship requires three A levels, but grade requirements vary between employers. Earn and learn The minimum wage for a legal apprentice is £3.90 (as of 1 April 2019) an hour for people aged under 19, as well as for people aged over 19 who are in the first year of their apprenticeship. All other apprentices over LawCareers.Net. Am I eligible?

the age of 19 are paid at least the National Minimum Wage. There are four levels of legal apprenticeship. Intermediate apprenticeship The Intermediate Apprenticeship provides training in a legal administrative role. Such roles involve administrative tasks such as research, secretarial work and dealing with confidential information. Paralegal apprenticeship The Paralegal Apprenticeship trains apprentices in the skills needed to work in a certain area of law (eg, personal injury) – paralegals support solicitors on legal matters and do many of the same tasks. Find out more about paralegals on the next page. Chartered legal executive apprenticeship This programme trains apprentices to qualify as chartered legal executives, a type of lawyer that is similar to a solicitor. Candidates must first complete the Paralegal Apprenticeship This apprenticeship is a six-year programme which integrates studying for a law degree with on-the-job training at a law firm, ending in qualification as a solicitor – a role which was previously reserved for those who took the traditional university route. If you are considering applying for an before progressing onto this. Solicitor apprenticeship

Paralegals work in law firms, but are not qualified as solicitors or chartered legal executives. Although paralegals used to be seen purely as support staff, the role of paralegal has moved beyond just assisting solicitors. Paralegals are becoming a distinct group of legal professionals in their own right, although this kind of role is often still used as a stepping stone to becoming a solicitor or chartered legal executive. Some paralegals’ roles are often little different from those of solicitors. This means that you can apply to qualify as a solicitor while working as a paralegal, provided that you can satisfy the Solicitors Regulation Authority that you have gained the same knowledge and skills in your role as you would have through a training contract. This is called the ‘equivalent means’ route to qualifying.

Another common reason why many graduates work as paralegals is that this is a good way to gain the crucial legal work experience needed to get a training contract. Some paralegals gain experience and then apply for a training contract at the same firm, while others move on from firms where this is not an option and go on to apply successfully elsewhere. However, a note of caution: paralegals perform many of the same tasks as solicitors, but are generally not paid as much and there is not the same clear career progression that solicitors can pursue. Be careful and stay mindful of your prospects for career progression.