Going into January 2022, I had an offer to study law at a Russell Group university. Whilst it was great to have a university place confirmed I was still very interested in the solicitor apprenticeship route for a variety of reasons. I continued to apply to firms and in April I was offered a solicitor apprenticeship with Osborne Clarke. Whilst my reasons for choosing an apprenticeship over university are personal to me, I hope that this article sheds some light on the differences between the two routes to qualifying as a solicitor, and that it helps you to make a thoughtful decision on the right route for you.

Tuition Fees vs. A (Very) Competitive Salary

Question: would you rather spend £9,250 per year in tuition fees or receive a salary of at least £23,000 per year? In my opinion, the salary option is the clear winner.

You will often find other apprentices being coy when it comes to discussing the financial incentives of choosing an apprenticeship, but this had such a big impact on my decision to choose the solicitor apprenticeship route. As a solicitor apprentice at Osborne Clarke I earn a salary which increases with every year that I progress through my apprenticeship. This is very different to university, where I'd likely have had to work a part-time job alongside my studies. In October 2023, my partner and I were fortunate enough to get a mortgage for our own house together, and this definitely wouldn't have been possible if I'd chosen to go to university.

Exposure to Legal Work

If you choose to become an apprentice at Osborne Clarke, you will be exposed to a whole range of different legal tasks and gain immense levels of knowledge on how to draft various documents; use complex software; communicate with others; and understand how the law works in practice. You'll get the opportunity to work across the firm in up to eight different departments (including real estate, commercial disputes and employment amongst others). This opportunity to gain six years of practical experience before choosing the area that I want to qualify into had such a huge influence on my final decision for the apprenticeship route over university.

Networking Opportunities

As a solicitor apprentice at Osborne Clarke you'll also be given plenty of opportunities to network with others in the legal sector including other law firms, business professionals, and especially our clients. These industry connections can really help to progress your career through increased guidance and skills development, which will be a major advantage for you when you come to qualify.

I appreciate that many universities also offer similar networking opportunities, but for me personally, I chose the apprenticeship route because it gave me the opportunity to develop these connections from day one.

Job Security

When I was applying for a solicitor apprenticeship, I don't think I had a big enough appreciation for its job security. As a solicitor apprentice at Osborne Clarke you are guaranteed six years of legal training, and the commitment and support of the firm to get through to qualify as a solicitor at the end of that period. To secure this after completing your A Levels is obviously a huge achievement and will allow you to avoid the struggles faced by some university students once they graduate.

Osborne Clarke also have a particularly impressive retention rate for newly-qualified solicitors at 87%. This is something which I couldn't ignore when making my decision, as it illustrates that the firm has a keen interest in retaining talent at the end of the training contract.

Final Statement

In my closing statement, I would just like to reiterate that my reasons for choosing the apprenticeship route is personal to me. You may prefer university if you want greater flexibility and freedom, or if you're not 100% certain that a career in law is for you. There are so many points to consider and it's important to think about what you want for yourself.

If it weren't for law firms like Osborne Clarke then these opportunities wouldn't be available, so I'm wholeheartedly grateful to them and would recommend applying if you get the chance. Osborne Clarke offers a genuine, unique approach to its work and the culture here is far more diverse and approachable than anywhere else - something which actually led me to reject an offer from another top 50 UK law firm.

Eric Pountney - Solicitor apprentice