The Law Apprenticeships Guide 2020

Meet the apprentice

What do you do day to day?

I’m currently with the ITV Network team, which is the broadcasting arm of ITV. I work mainly on development and commissioning agreements with both internal and external producers across all genres, such as entertainment, factual and drama. I draft and negotiate these contracts, with the support of senior lawyers when necessary. Much of what I do is the same level of work as the trainees, which feels great and really rewarding.

Holly Moore ITV

Holly Moore is a fourth-year solicitor apprentice, currently in the ITV Network Legal and Business Affairs team at ITV. She will move around the business, involving three one-year seats (a seat is a period of training in a particular department), four six-month seats, and two six-month seats at law firms.

What do you most enjoy – and find the most challenging – about your apprenticeship?

The most enjoyable part is working in a friendly and creative environment – it is fast-paced and challenging, and there is so much variety in the people I work with and the work I do; every day is different. There’s always a new show, contract or discussion and I’m involved with all of that, and learning what goes into creating a show, from start to finish. I also love studying all areas of law at uni! The challenge is taking on a lot of responsibility at a young age; I came straight into this role after taking my A levels. It encouraged me to gain a level of maturity; you have to manage your own workload and study, and ensure that you balance that with your life outside work. It doesn’t undermine how much I love it, though – I would choose the exact same route if given the choice again. I am very lucky to have a supportive team around me.

How did you find out about/research the legal apprenticeship route?

I always knew that I wanted to be a lawyer, but I didn’t want to go to university full time and I did want to gain some practical work experience. I searched everywhere for alternative routes – I relied heavily on the government careers website, CILEx and LawCareers.Net for information. I first read about paralegal apprenticeships, but then discovered the solicitor apprenticeship. It was the ideal combination of going to university to gain the correct qualifications, with the added benefit of six years’ work experience and no university debt!

What about the route appealed?

What is your best piece of advice for those considering applying for a legal apprenticeship?

I get to apply the modules I’m studying at university in a very immediate way. For example, I studied contract law in my first year and every day at work I draft and negotiate a variety of contracts. I’m using my knowledge as I learn it, rather than having to wait for five years to apply it! Plus, working at ITV has been perfect for me – it offers everything I was looking for, including both in-house and private practice experience.

Do lots of research into the different routes. There are new apprenticeships becoming available all the time, so you need to seek that information out. And if you think that it might be right for you, then you have to engage fully; you can’t go into it in a half-hearted way. It requires a lot of commitment and sacrifice in terms of time – it’s very different to full-time uni! It can be tough, because of the amount that you’re juggling, but it’s worth it and also has the advantage of being paid! Talk to careers advisers, email firms, talk to your teachers; the more research you do, the more you’ll be certain that it’s something you want to pursue.