An Interview with Ayse, a Solicitor Apprentice at an International Law Firm

In this Article Elfie Farrant interviews, Ayse a solicitor apprentice, on her journey into law.

Would you please start by briefly sharing your background and journey into law? 

Yes of course. I come from a low-income, immigrant household and initially wanted to study either psychology or music. However, halfway through, I decided I wanted to study law instead, partly as a result of injustices I had experienced. I’m really happy with my choice, although having to change my personal statement from psychology to law was quite a chaotic process!

What shaped your decision to undertake a solicitor apprenticeship, instead of the traditional route into law? 

Before sixth form, I had no idea that apprenticeships really existed, but when I switched schools, apprenticeships were actively encouraged. Initially, I had very little interest and thought I would never do one. However, after applying through UCAS, I received some rejections and didn’t want to take up a place at the university that had offered me a place. My friend really encouraged me to look into solicitor apprenticeships. I was quite terrified, but I gave it a go and was successful!

If you take the traditional route, the average age of qualification is 28. However, apprenticeships give you a clear route to qualify by 24, are paid and fully funded. It’s also really the experience that makes it worth it. As opposed to a four-seat training contract, I will rotate through eight seats across the six years, and the more experience the better! Further, the modules I will study are all relevant to my career, making my degree more focused towards a practical career in law.

How have you found balancing learning to grapple with training to practice law, alongside studying part time with the University of Law? 

My week is quite clearly divided between studying and working. Fridays are my study days, and that will remain the same across the six years. For the first two years, we do one module at a time, amounting to three modules a year. Year three onwards, you do twice the number of modules. As long as I do my uni work on a Friday, balancing studying and training doesn’t become an issue – it is all about working efficiently which becomes so important when you need to fit in two modules into one study day.

Monday to Thursday I work in the office, and I am currently sat in Intellectual Property. Most of the time I draft letters, make annexes, do Business Development tasks, present in team meetings and undertake legal and commercial research for clients. You really get a lot of variety and are able to meet and work with a very wide range of people. It’s quite an academic seat and a lot of research is involved!

What advice would you give to students seeking to undertake a solicitor apprenticeship?

Although there is still studying involved, if you want the variation of uni work and office work to stay stimulated whilst gaining practical experience, If you don’t like studying a lot and want the practical experience, a solicitor apprenticeship could be the one for you. I didn’t have access to that much information really; I just knew that I wanted to be a lawyer. It is tough and is not an easy route; however, it is worth it. The main value add is definitely the practical experience you gain. You are immersed within the work, you liase with clients and develop so many skills that you couldn’t get at uni. It’s a really great way to start your career, especially since law in a commercial environment is nowhere near the same as studying it in uni. So you know exactly what you are in for from the get go. .

Are there any skillsets in particular, which you think are important for students to develop.  

Confidence and self-belief are a necessity. Particularly because you will be faced with tasks that you are unfamiliar with. Ask as many questions as you can and get out of your comfort zone. Do things that you are scared of. I would also say written and verbal communication because they are skills that you will need every single day. Organisational skills are a massive one, even if that just means organising your emails and workload. This isn’t really a skillset, but always be curious and always ask – you are there to learn from professionals who are top tier in their fields so make the absolute most of it. Soft skills will come in time, and the only advice I can give is just that you will figure it out as you go. Nobody knows what they are doing all the time, and the best thing you can do is try and learn from other people and have faith that you will be able to succeed!