As a solicitor apprentice, you will join a fast-paced, dynamic working environment where personal resilience and a willingness to learn are key to success. This is a unique opportunity to gain practical experience working on real-life legal projects alongside experienced legal professionals, while also studying towards the Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship standard, a fully sponsored LLB in Legal Practice and Skills degree, and the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Solicitor apprentices have a unique opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’ by putting their academic learning into practice while working towards qualifying as a solicitor. The apprenticeship is fully funded, so apprentices have no university fees and earn a competitive salary for the duration of the programme.
The number of available roles and their location depends on business needs and can change each year. Our 2025 Solicitor Apprenticeship opportunities are available in our Leeds and Manchester offices.
If you don’t meet the above minimum academic criteria but you have mitigating circumstances, there’s an opportunity for you to include this information in your registration form.
Graduates or students who have completed more than one year of any degree (including law) are not eligible for this programme as their skills and knowledge exceed the level of this apprenticeship.
Please note, due to the funding requirements all candidates must have the right to live and work in the UK for the full duration of the apprenticeship.
Our apprenticeship salaries are subject to review on an annual basis. The current starting solicitor apprenticeship salary rates are as follows:
Apprentices are welcomed to the firm with a comprehensive induction programme.
Solicitor Apprentices have a dedicated weekly study day studying legal foundation subjects, skills modules and preparing for a range of assessments, including the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Solicitor apprentices spend the remaining four days per week working with colleagues in the office. You will also complete weekly tasks and receive regular feedback from your subject tutor, as well as meet with the Skills Coach to support your progress.
In the first four years of your apprenticeship, you will be based in one or two legal teams.
During the final two years of your apprenticeship, you will join the trainee solicitor cohort. You will have the opportunity to gain broad exposure to different areas of commercial law by undertaking six-month placements in four different departments.
Some travel within the UK and Ireland might be required during your apprenticeship. We will reimburse any travel-related business expenses in line with our policy to enable you to meet the business needs and access relevant training opportunities.
The below shows the typical recruitment process for our legal apprenticeships.
Tell us about yourself, your academic history and your employment history where applicable. We also gather information about you to support our contextualized recruitment approach.
The next stage of the recruitment process will involve completing our online blended assessment. This blended assessment incorporates situational judgment questions, a written case study and a short recorded video interview allowing us to see how well you would perform in different scenarios.
If you pass the online blended assessment, we’ll ask you to book a place at one of our in-person assessment centres. You will complete three exercises over the day – this will include a one-to-one interview, a business simulation exercise and a case study.
Whatever the outcome, we’ll let you know as soon as we can after the assessment centre. If you display the key attributes we are looking for and perform well throughout the assessment, we’ll send you an offer and talk you through the onboarding process.
Throughout your apprenticeship you will be involved in client meetings, assist solicitors with legal matters, conduct legal research, draft correspondence and documents, and prepare files and bundles. As you progress in your role, you will be introduced to more advanced tasks to help you build a portfolio and work towards the level 7 qualification. These tasks may involve preparing client training, leading client meetings, and progressing matters and transactions.
During your apprenticeship, you will be supported by a supervisor who is an experienced solicitor, a dedicated early talent team, and fellow legal apprentices. In addition, you will also be allocated a buddy to help you settle into both working and studying. You will receive comprehensive training that combines on-the-job learning with formal structured sessions, ensuring you are fully equipped to succeed in your role. Furthermore, you will have access to a wide range of courses available through our Pinsent Masons Learning and Development team, enabling you to develop your skills and build a successful career.
Upon successful completion of the 6-year solicitor apprenticeship and Solicitors Qualifying Examination, subject to SRA character and suitability assessment, you will become a qualified solicitor and have a chance to join our Newly Qualified (NQ) Solicitor recruitment process. This process is centrally managed and includes interviews and technical skills assessments. Our Graduate Development team work with the business to identify which roles are available and circulate a list. You will be able to apply for a small number of vacancies across the firm’s offices. The outcome will be based on your performance at assessment and throughout your apprenticeship. This gives you every opportunity to further your career with a leading firm in your chosen area of law.
To start your application, please click on apply now. Once you have registered an account, you will need to complete the following before the application closing date:
Once you have submitted all of the above, our recruitment team will review your application alongside your online blended assessment and will be in touch in due course regarding your outcome.
The number of available roles and their location depends on business needs and can change each year. Please keep an eye on this website for updates.
As a part of your apprenticeship, you will study towards a LLB (Hons) in Legal Practice and Skills degree delivered by the University of Law, the largest provider of legal education in the UK.
During the solicitor apprenticeship you will be supported by a Pinsent Masons supervisor who is an experienced solicitor, a dedicated early talent team member, and a University of Law skills coach. You will also have access to the University of Law student support and wellbeing Services.
Throughout your journey you will also have a chance to meet and network with the Pinsent Masons apprentices who are studying towards a range of apprenticeship standards.
Please include your predicted A-Level (or equivalent qualification) grades in your application form. If you’re successful in securing an apprenticeship with us, we will ask you to confirm your obtained grades on your A-Level (or equivalent) results day.
Unfortunately, graduates or students who have completed more than one year of any degree are not eligible for this programme as their skills and knowledge exceed the level of this apprenticeship.
Each year we receive a large number of applications for our apprenticeship programmes. We review all applications following the application closing date and contact the candidates once the full screening process is completed. While this process can take a few months, we will share the outcome of your application as soon as we can.
If you don’t complete the online blended assessment and submit your full application before the closing date your application will be withdrawn.
If you have any questions please contact our early talent team at [email protected]
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