Legal Apprenticeships

Do you prefer working whilst learning and are worried about the cost of university?
A Legal Apprenticeship is a new and exciting way to kick start your career in law.

Our Paralegal Trailblazer Legal Apprenticeship is a great opportunity for candidates of any age, who either want to start their career as soon as possible, or are looking for a career change, to enter the legal sector without the cost or time associated with college or university.

This is a fantastic opportunity for ambitious college leavers or people looking for a new career in the legal sector. You will gain valuable legal experience at one of the UK’s largest legal businesses, work towards a nationally recognised qualification, and receive a competitive salary at the same time.

Please note

We recruit once a year for our Legal (Paralegal) Apprenticeships, and in order to be considered, you must be available to start employment in September.

For our September intake, the application process is open from March 2nd and will close on May 6th, with assessments taking place May-July.

We may close the vacancy earlier if we receive a high volume of applications, therefore you should consider sending your applications in early to avoid disappointment.

All the details are updated on our website as well as BPP's for our next intake in 2020.

Graduates are not eligible to apply for a Paralegal Apprenticeship. Please visit our Graduate pages where you will find details of our vacation schemes and training contract opportunities.

What does the Legal Apprenticeship involve?

Legal Apprentices will either work in our Commercial or Insurance practice within the following teams - Managed Services: Commercial and Real Estate / Insurance: Motor, Litigation or CAT PI & OH team.

You will work 4 days a week, and attend a study day one day of the week with BPP. All the details are updated on our website as well as BPP (our training provider) for our next intake in 2020.

You will receive a starting salary of £18,135 plus other benefits (nationwide, excluding London). In London, the starting salary is £20,963 plus other benefits.

Throughout the apprenticeship you will have the support of your team members, supervisor and a dedicated mentor. During the course of the two-year apprenticeship, you will gradually be exposed to more complex legal work.

What will I study?

Legal Apprentices will work towards achieving a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Legal Services, taught by BPP with all training costs covered by DWF. In addition, BPP will provide you with the opportunity to study for a certificate in Higher Education, a qualification that is equivalent to the first year of a degree.

This Paralegal Trailblazer qualification is the first of its kind and can lead to qualification as a solicitor. BPP will deliver the formal teaching for our apprenticeship, along with providing a dedicated assessor for each Legal Apprentice.

Find out more about BPP

What happens after I finish the Apprenticeship?

We hope all our Legal Apprentices complete their studies and decide to stay with us. Your exact role upon qualification will be determined by the skills and abilities you have shown during the previous two years. In advance of completion we will discuss with you where your skills can be best utilised within the firm.

If you show exceptional potential, we will offer you the opportunity to be considered to undertake the Solicitor Apprenticeship pathway and qualify as a solicitor.

What are we looking for?

Entry level requirements

5 GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics
3 C's (or equivalent) at A-Level

As well as good academics, you must have excellent communication skills, an eye for detail and the ability to follow instructions and be able to work well as part of a team. You do not need legal work experience to apply, but work and life experience is valuable.

In your application we are keen to see your drive and determination for a career in law and a good understanding of our firm.

What is the application procedure?

Online application

Please note, part of our application process is completed via our recruitment partners at BPP. Our current vacancies in Manchester, Liverpool and London have now been filled, although please keep an eye out for future opportunities here.

Applications will go live in March 2020, on Apply4Law.

Spend time on your answers, do not hold back and really tell us about yourself. This is your opportunity to make your application stand out, so pay attention to your grammar and spelling, a key skill of being a lawyer is attention to detail so make sure your application is error free!

Telephone Interview

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be contacted by BPP, who will arrange to conduct a telephone interview with yourselves. The telephone interview will be a further chance for you to show why you think a Legal Apprenticeship is right for you and why DWF is the firm you wish to do it at.

Assessment Centre

Upon successful completion of the telephone interview stage, your application and telephone interview score will be reviewed the by the apprenticeship team at DWF. If successful, you will be invited to attend an assessment centre at DWF, which will involve:

Group Exercise
Attention to detail exercise
A one to one interview

If you have not attended an assessment centre before, please do not be nervous as we will do everything we can to put you at ease, and none of the exercises require any specific legal knowledge. The purpose of our assessment centres is to give you the opportunity to show us what you can do.

Offers start date and induction

Applications open 2nd March 2020 and the deadline to apply for a paralegal apprenticeship is 6th May 2020.

Please note that we may close the vacancy earlier if we receive a high volume of applications, therefore you should consider sending your applications in early to avoid disappointment.

If you are successful you will be offered a place to start with us in September and will attend a comprehensive induction. The induction will cover information about the firm, soft skills and an IT training session; you will also meet your tutor, supervisor and mentor.

“Going down the apprenticeship route was not a difficult decision for me as I knew that university was not for me. During my apprenticeship at DWF I will gain valuable experience and achieve a Level 3 Certificate in Legal Service after two years. I will then have the opportunity to access the Level 7 Solicitor Trailblazer Apprenticeship and further my career into law.”

Charlie Brooke, Paralegal Apprentice

“My role with the Personal Injury legal team includes admin duties such as helping to prepare enclosures and briefs. I achieved good GCSE results and chose to take an apprenticeship as I wanted a more hands on approach to learning. Undertaking the apprenticeship has helped me to become more independent and develop motivational skills. This will help me to secure a professional role in the future. My advice to new apprentices is to be proactive.”

Daniel Martin, Paralegal

“Supervising an apprentice is a really positive experience. Watching them develop and being able to contribute to their personal and professional development is immensely rewarding. Our apprentices are enthusiastic, keen to learn and ready to absorb information.”

Laurie Kershaw, Associate

“I am currently completing my Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship at DWF and really enjoy the balance of studying whilst working, as it allows you to get a qualification but also a real flavour for what it's like to work in a legal business. On completion I will be a fully qualified paralegal and intend to go onto the Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship.”

Sean Nicholson, Paralegal Apprentice

Apprenticeship enquiries

Contact our team if you have any enquiries.

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Always aim higher, your career starts here! Download our brochure for more information.

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