Solicitor Apprenticeship (school leaver) - September 2025 - BDB Pitmans
Applications close 16 February 2025
At BDB Pitmans we value all routes to qualification, recognising your potential to carve out a successful career in law. With our six year Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship programme you can become a qualified solicitor by completing a law degree and passing the Solicitors Qualifying Exams, with BDB Pitmans covering all of your tuition and assessment fees.
Because we work in small teams, you will benefit from collaborating alongside senior lawyers from the outset, earning a salary whilst gaining real-life legal experience across multiple practice areas. Our supportive, inclusive culture and genuine work-life balance provide opportunities to develop your technical skills, extend your legal knowledge and grow your client relationships, whilst providing you with enough time to dedicate to your apprenticeship studies.
Apprenticeship programme
Throughout the six years of your apprenticeship, you will be working four days a week alongside our solicitors and partners based at our London office, gaining real-life legal experience as you rotate seats across our broad range of practice areas. One day a week will be spent studying for your law degree, an LLB in Legal Practice and Skills, and later your Solicitor Qualifying Exams (SQEs) awarded by the University of Law. This will include online and face-to-face teaching to give you both flexibility and the opportunity for social interaction with other solicitor apprentices in your cohort.
What will the work experience look like?
Over the six years, you will rotate seats annually, allowing you to explore a wide range of legal practice areas which could include:
- Charities
- Corporate and Commercial
- Family law
- Employment
- Planning, infrastructure and public law
- Litigation
- Private wealth
- Real estate
- Restructuring and insolvency
In years five and six, although you will be paid a trainee salary, you will still keep to yearly rotations (rather than the usual 4x 6 monthly rotations that our trainees undertake). This is because we want you to be able to focus on your exams, rather than having to adjust to new departments and processes so regularly. In addition, you may spend some time working alongside some of our Business Services teams to develop your understanding of key processes in the business. Above all, we want you to succeed, and as such have thought carefully about how best we can support you along your apprenticeship journey.
Eligibility
You will need to be on track to achieve, or have achieved, a minimum of CCC at A level (or equivalent) and have at least 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and Maths.
This opportunity is aimed at anyone without a degree including those who are currently in Year 13. You must also have the right to work in the UK.
We understand that for some candidates, there may be extenuating circumstances. If you feel that this applies to you, please do let us know on your application form as we would not want to miss out on hearing from talented individuals who have not been able to demonstrate their full potential due to reasons outside of their control.
We are keen to hear from all eligible applicants, so if you require any reasonable adjustments to make the application process more comfortable for you, or if you have any further questions please email solicitorapprentices@broadfield-law.com.
Salary and benefits
For London apprentices, your starting salary will be £24,000 and you will receive regular increases as you progress through the programme. By your fifth year, your salary will match that of a graduate trainee solicitor.
- At least £150 towards getting you set up for working from home
- Holiday: 25 days per year with the option to buy up to 5 days extra annual leave
- You will also have access to a range of benefits to mention but a few:
- Private medical care
- Retail discounts
- Pension scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Cycle to work scheme
- One paid CSR day per year to support the causes that matter to you
- Income protection
- Life assurance
What are we looking for?
The legal sector is dynamic and fast-moving. Being a solicitor is a challenging but rewarding career, and we’re looking for the next generation of talented individuals who can make their mark by contributing to our firm’s success.
The key skills and qualities we look out for are:
- Resilience and commitment
- Organisational and communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Collaborative skills
- Adaptability and the ability to take the initiative
- Commercial curiosity
- A positive attitude to learn and develop
- Career motivation
We do not expect you to have legal work experience! Remember, you will have gained transferable skills from across many areas of your life, whether that be academic, extracurricular, volunteering, caring or part time jobs to name but a few so do draw upon your experiences.
Click apply to find out more about the application process and apply.
Required degree level
- GCSE or equivalent
- A level/CILEX level 3 or equivalent
Years of experience
- no work experience required
Salary range
- £1-£29,999