In September 2021, Norton Rose Fulbright launched its Legal Apprenticeships programme with four Solicitor Apprentices starting their legal careers in our London office and five Paralegal Apprentices in our Newcastle Hub.

The Solicitor Apprenticeship pathway offers a six-year ‘on the job’ training period which combines an LLB law degree, and the new “Solicitors Qualifying Exam”, with practical legal work experience. Upon successful completion of the programme, a Solicitor Apprentice will become a fully qualified Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales.

Solicitor Apprenticeships are a relatively new route to qualification as a legal professional and, after a slow start, many law firms, both big and small, are now quickly adopting them. Apprenticeships, particularly degree level apprenticeships, are aimed at individuals who are determined to enter the workplace and gain a head start on their career. They combine ‘earning and learning’ with the benefits of a full time job and the academic knowledge of a university degree. Apprentices also gain the benefit of building professional networks, from an early stage, and avoid incurring, often substantial, student debt.

Norton Rose Fulbright recently acted for a housing association in respect of a claim against a  contractor for defective cladding in the Technology and Construction Court. Jake, Norton Rose Fulbright’s first litigation and disputes Solicitor Apprentice, formed part of the team, led by Amy Armitage (Counsel) and Simon Ramsden (Partner),  preparing for and attending the trial. As part of the preparation process, Jake has assisted with the creation of the trial bundle, witness familiarisation and the logistics of attending court.

Reflecting on the trial process, Amy remarked “It was great to have a dedicated resource to help with trial preparation during an extremely busy period. I hadn’t really heard much about the Solicitor Apprentice scheme at NRF prior to this but I would definitely recommend bringing an apprentice into a trial team to help with a range of day to day tasks that can be time consuming for fee earners including document management, bundle preparation and day to day trial logistics. Jake’s enthusiasm was unbridled and  it was a welcome reminder to me of the importance of sharing knowledge and experience and the rewards that this can bring to everyone involved.”

Jake has shared some thoughts on working on the trial and the apprenticeship.

What is it like working on, and preparing for, a High Court trial?

Put simply, it is an amazing opportunity, I have built upon my professional network whilst learning practical skills from those around me. I have seen how litigators build their case and the vast amount of time, passion and dedication that goes into ensuring that every element of the trial is meticulously planned.

Since starting my apprenticeship at Norton Rose Fulbright, I have ‘sat’ with a number of Partners within the wider litigation and disputes practice area. As a result, I have been have been fortunate enough to observe a number of trials and hearings in a range of different courts; from aviation based claims, to landmark administrative cases, to general commercial litigation and even a large pro-bono case.

What type of tasks do you undertake as an apprentice/ trainee preparing for a trial?

In short, I would say the work is incredibly varied! Working on a large trial, in a large litigation team, can definitely seem daunting at first. In preparing for this trial we were incredibly busy: collating documents; familiarising our witnesses with the process of giving evidence; meeting with our counsel; organising and preparing to work away from the office; drafting correspondence and much more. Whilst this can appear daunting, the trial preparation period is exciting and dynamic. For an apprentice it has been a great experience, I have been able to help with different tasks and work with different lawyers in the team. I have developed and practiced an array of different skills. For example, I have been able to practise my writing skills by producing first draft correspondence to both the client and opposing counsel.

How do you manage the pressure of studying alongside working?

Balancing studying alongside working full time can be a challenge. For example, I had to balance meeting a strict court deadline with being prepared for my first contract law exam. In order to do this successfully, I used my organisation and time management skills to plan work tasks with enough time to revise and study. I have also tried to be open with my team, discussing when my allocated study days are and how my team can assist me to manage the work, life, study balance.

To develop that further, my colleagues have been a great source of both pastoral and academic support. Each of the lawyers in our litigation and disputes practice group are incredibly experienced and talented within their respective field. If I am ever stuck, or in need of help, I know I can ask others in the team for help and advice.

What was the most challenging aspect of working on this trial?

Preparing for a trial is, perhaps, the busiest time in the lifecycle of case. There is lots of preparation work that needs to be done and everything must be completed perfectly. Something that I have found challenging is sustaining consistent high quality performance in the weeks before trial. When handing over work to associates, I needed to ensure things were correct and accurate to help them and remain productive and efficient. By managing time effectively and communicating my workload to colleagues, I have been able to overcome this challenge and benefit my team and the wider department.

How would you compare the differences between the ‘traditional’ route to qualification and the apprenticeship route?

Something that stood out to me about the apprenticeship is the ability to gain six years’ practical experience, in the workplace, as well as obtaining the relevant academic qualifications. I will have the opportunity to see how the law is applied on a daily basis and start gaining the practical skills necessary in the workplace. This experience is something that will, hopefully, be game-changing and useful in my further career. Rather than relying on something covered briefly on a degree, I will have relevant real-world experience to rely on. 

How would you sum-up your experience preparing for trial?

Despite being, at times, daunting, I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the litigation process and preparing for trial. I have loved the variety of different tasks I have been able to get involved with and enjoyed having responsibility for different elements of my own work. From listening to advocates give submissions to observing how my colleagues interact with clients and witnesses, I have been able to learn and develop from observing experienced lawyers.

The Norton Rose Fulbright apprentices have the opportunity to be involved with a variety of different tasks and activities. The stereotypical apprentice tasks of making tea or posting letters are certainly just myths.

If you are interested in finding out more about solicitor apprenticeships, you can read our dedicated article, which explains the pathway in greater detail, found here.

Applications for our paralegal and solicitor apprenticeships, starting September 2022, are open now. To apply, please go to our dedicated careers page here.

Amy Armitage is a dispute resolution lawyer based in London. Amy's practice encompasses disputes management as well as dispute resolution in the context of construction and engineering disputes in the infrastructure and energy sectors and the built environment.

Jake Burke is a Solicitor Apprentice based in London. Jake joined Norton Rose Fulbright after completing his A levels. Since starting his apprenticeship in September 2021, he has worked on several disputes projects across a number of Norton Rose Fulbright’s key industry sectors. Jake is also a member of Norton Rose Fulbright’s social-mobility network, Advance.