Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme

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Eligibility

For applicants who have not yet completed an undergraduate degree

You must have achieved 7 GCSEs at grade 6 or above (including Maths and English) and have achieved or be predicted to achieve AAB at A level. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into account

You must have the right to work in the UK

Dates

Start date: September 2025

Length of programme: 6 years

When to apply

Applications for our 2025 programme open on Monday 28 October 2024 and close on Friday 3 January 2025

Please note that interviews will take place between 31 March – 17 April. Please ensure that you are available during these dates.

Attracting the widest and most diverse range of talent to the firm is crucial to our sustained success. Our six-year Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme is designed for bright and motivated school leavers interested in a career in commercial law, and will offer you the breadth of experience and training needed to become a multi-specialist lawyer, equipped to advise on a broad range of legal matters.

THE SOLICITOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

During your first four years as a Solicitor Apprentice, you will rotate annually through a range of practice areas, which could include Corporate and M&A, Financing, Competition, Disputes and Investigations, Financial Regulation, Pensions , Employment and Incentives, Real Estate, Technology, Digital, Data and IP, Tax and Sustainability and Climate Change. This will allow you to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience whilst studying at university one day per week towards your undergraduate law degree.

During the final two years of the programme, you will join the trainee rotation, meaning that you will move into one of the above practice areas every six months. You will also attend university one day per week to study for the SQE. Secondment opportunities may be available to apprentices in the latter stages of the apprenticeship programme.

In each seat, you will be supervised by an experienced lawyer who will work with you and our education provider on setting goals and giving exposure to a range of tasks, work and areas of law. You will be actively involved in the work your supervisor and group are handling. Responsibilities and tasks will vary, but you will be an important part of the team straight away. Examples of work range from legal research, drafting, meeting attendance, general matter support and much more. Supervisors will change at seat rotation, meaning you will benefit from working with people across the firm, enhancing your multi-specialist development.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

£28,000 in your first year (increasing every year) and a sign on bonus of £3,000
An optional interest-free loan of up to £3,000
All your study fees will be paid for and you will be entitled to an extensive benefits package, including 30 days’ holiday per year, private medical insurance, pension scheme, onsite GP services, a variety of wellness benefits and more.

Training and Support

Being a successful City lawyer requires more than purely legal knowledge. Our Learning and Development team offers a full and varied training programme which extends beyond legal knowledge training, covering commercial awareness, skills and professional behaviours to ensure you have the tools you need during your apprenticeship.

Apprentice Induction

Prior to joining, you will be invited to an introductory session for all incoming apprentices so that you can meet each other and your key points of contact at the firm. You will also find out more about the qualifications you will be working towards and what you can expect from our academic provider.

On joining, you will have a focused induction programme to help you settle into your new role. You will have the opportunity to meet people from various different groups and teams in the firm, so you can start to network from day one. The induction will also include sessions on lifestyle management to help you with the transition from school to work.

Studying

You will be allocated one day per week for focused study time. This will give you dedicated time to work towards achieving your LLB Law degree and prepare for the SQE assessments.

You will be enrolled in a study programme with an accredited industry leading provider, giving you all the tools, resources and materials you need to navigate your studies and develop your knowledge and skills. The programme will involve a combination of in-person workshops and online self-study, with access to highly experienced tutors to guide and support you throughout.

Legal and professional skills training

During the six years, you will undertake a comprehensive legal and skills training programme, with sessions delivered on a wide range of subjects by partners, other senior lawyers and our Learning and Development team.

Mentoring

Mentoring provides a valuable forum to seek support, reflect on your career development, discuss professional goals and expand your network. We offer a diverse range of mentoring programmes to our solicitor apprentices.

Solicitor apprentices will also be allocated a Continuity Partner to provide support and guidance. The Continuity Partner is separate from your supervisor, so you will have an additional, senior contact at the firm to catch up with at regular points during the programme.

HR support

You will have a dedicated HR Adviser on hand to support you across the entire programme. They will support you from the moment you accept your offer, and throughout your apprenticeship. Our educational provider will also be in regular touch with you over the course of your studies to make sure you’re in the best place to succeed.

HOW TO APPLY

When applications are open, please complete the online application, which can be accessed here, and attach your CV.

You will be asked to complete a situational judgement test within 2 days of submitting your application.

Your application

On the application form, you will be asked provide some personal details and a full breakdown of your GCSE and A-level (or equivalent) results or predicted grades.

There is space on each section of the form to provide details of any extenuating circumstances, including a disability or long-term health condition, which have materially affected your results.

You will be asked the following key question within the 500 word limit:

“Why are you interested in becoming a Solicitor Apprentice at Slaughter and May?”

Your answer to this question should demonstrate:

Your understanding of the role of a Solicitor Apprentice
Your personal motivations and enthusiasm for pursuing this route
Your personal interest in and understanding of what a career in commercial law entails
Your understanding of Slaughter and May
Strong written communication skills

Your answer should be personal to you and to your experiences. You should include evidence to support your answer where relevant. For example, to demonstrate the research you have completed, this may include referencing events, legal or non-legal work experience, virtual internships, and other resources that you have found useful.

The use of generative AI to help you prepare your application may result in inaccuracies and a lack of originality and creativity. Strong applications will be authentic and personal to you.

We recommend that your CV is no more than 2 sides of A4. The information included should be factual – tell us what you have done, where and when.

Your CV should include the following.

A breakdown of your GCSE and A level grades (please state if these grades are actual or predicted)
Legal work experience and events (this can include virtual programmes)
Non-legal work experience
Paid employment
Extracurricular activities.

You should include details of everything you have been involved with, whether or not these activities are related to a career in law. We want to understand your journey and how you spend your time outside of your studies.

Please click here to view an example CV. Please note that this should be used only as an example of how to structure your CV and should not be used as a template.

The situational judgement test

Once you have submitted your application, you will be asked to complete a situational judgement test within 2 days.

The aim of this test is to assess how you may decide to behave in common situations you may encounter as a Solicitor Apprentice at Slaughter and May.

You will be presented with 15 scenarios and asked to rank the response options from most effective to least effective. The test is not timed and should take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete.

Please note that this assessment does not require any legal knowledge.

The interview

Successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview at our London office.

The interview process will include:

Written exercise
Interview with lawyers
Tour of the office with a trainee solicitor
HR interview

ACCESSIBILITY

Slaughter and May is committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term health condition.

If you require any adjustments to be made to the application and interview process, please contact Grace Parkinson, Early Careers Recruitment Operations Manager, via email or on 020 7090 5324.

To ensure that no-one is prevented from attending an interview due to financial constraints, we will reimburse reasonable travelling expenses and we can provide these funds in advance if needed.

HOW TO FIND OUT MORE

We are hosting a series of virtual events in November and December designed to give you an insight into Slaughter and May and our Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme, and to share top tips on navigating the application process. You can sign up for all of these now:

Welcome to Slaughter and May - Tuesday 5 November and Tuesday 3 December, 5pm - 6pm
These events will include an introduction to the firm, and an overview of the programme and application process
Application Q&A - Tuesday 19 November and Tuesday 17 December, 5pm - 6pm
At these events, our Early Careers Recruitment team will give an overview of our application and interview process and will answer any questions you have about applying to the firm.

Parents and guardians are welcome to attend all of these events.

Our Early Careers Recruitment team will also be attending the London City Century event on Monday 28 October 2024, which you can sign up to here.