THE APPRENTICESHIP GUIDE
Starting a career with a top law firm
Davies and Partners is a full-service law firm and has been providing individual and business clients (both locally and nationally) with high quality legal services for over 30 years. We began trading from Gloucester in 1988 and from there opened offices in Bristol, Birmingham and most recently in the heart of London’s West End. The firm currently employees 180 people, with around 90 of these based at our head office in Gloucester. Despite our more recent expansion, Gloucester is very much our home and we pride ourselves on engaging with and supporting the local community. One of our proudest achievements is the establishment of the Gloucester 10k, working with many others from the Gloucester community and donating all proceeds to local charities. We are also proud sponsors of the Gloucester History Festival, Gloucester Rugby Player Jason Woodward, the Gloucester Races and Country Fair and the Believe in Gloucester Awards. Routes to Qualification The Traditional Route This requires aspiring solicitors to complete the following: 1.A qualifying law degree or, if a degree was obtained in another area, then students were required to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL); 2. The Legal Practice Course (LPC); 3. Undertaking a two-year ‘Period of Recognised Training’ (previously known as a ‘Training Contract’) as a trainee solicitor. On average, it takes six years to qualify through this route. At Davies and Partners, we are proud to offer four trainee solicitor roles each year. During this two- year period, it is usual to experience four distinct areas of law; rotating departments every six months. The traditional route to qualification will shortly change with the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The SQE will replace the LPC, be split into two parts and will be mandatory for those commencing legal training from September 2021.
It also removes the requirement that students undertake a qualifying law degree or the GDL. “I’ve been associated with Davies and Partners since 2015 following a week’s worth of work experience. I initially returned as a paralegal where I gained excellent experience before undertaking the Legal Practice Course. “I was lucky enough to obtain a trainee solicitor role with the firm and have spent time in our conveyancing, employment and litigation teams. “One of the things I like most about the firm is the informal working environment, high levels of responsibility and the commitment the firm shows in
investing in its employees. “My duties vary on a day- to-day basis from attending court to meeting clients. I wouldcertainlyrecommend Davies and Partners for those interested in a career in the law.
64 | December 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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