Why I chose to take the apprenticeship route – an interview with Tom Connell

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we interviewed legal apprentice Tom Connell from our commercial property team about why he chose the apprenticeship route to qualifying as a solicitor.

Why did you decide on a solicitor apprenticeship?

The university route to becoming a solicitor is by no means a bad choice, however, having never been that keen on the idea of going to university, the apprenticeship route felt like the best option for me.

After carrying out extensive research on apprenticeships, I applied for the Harrison Drury apprenticeship. It is an excellent opportunity for me to qualify as a solicitor while gaining work experience and receiving a salary from a leading law firm.

What are the best things about being a legal apprentice?

I am incredibly lucky and honoured to have been able to achieve and learn the amount I have within my first two years at Harrison Drury which is solely down to the solicitor apprenticeship.

Every day I gain hands-on experience while being surrounded by experienced and supportive colleagues who invest and devote their own time to not only help me gain varied experience, but also to help me with my studies and education.

Choosing an apprenticeship was the best thing I have ever done. It is an excellent route into a career as a solicitor, establishing me on a great path that will enable me to develop a strong and successful future in the legal sector.

What is a typical day as an apprentice?

I work in the commercial property department at Harrison Drury, specialising in plot sales. Day-to-day I am drafting legal documents, speaking with clients, carrying out research and helping the wider teams.

I am incredibly lucky to work with such a supportive and patient supervisor on a variety of matters. Every day brings something exciting and new.

A legal apprenticeship is challenging, having to balance your workload in the office with exams and coursework. I spend four days of the working week in the office working closely assisting my supervisor and wider team, and then have one day as my dedicated study day. This study day is my day for university learning or coursework which contributes towards my qualification.

Having that one day a week for studying also allows me to have time to myself which is essential to have a good work-life balance. Earning a salary also gives me the chance to enjoy holidays and weekends. Along with regular work social events I am never missing out on my social life.

What is the Harrison Drury apprenticeship?

The six-year Harrison Drury legal apprenticeship programme steadily builds towards qualification as a solicitor by studying initially the Level 3 Paralegal and then Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeships. This is the same time period as qualifying through the traditional university route.

Harrison Drury offers candidates this excellent opportunity to qualify as a solicitor while working in a challenging yet supportive legal environment with the chance to develop a long-term career at a leading law firm without incurring the cost of full-time university.

If you are already a graduate, you can also apply to join Harrison Drury’s graduate legal apprenticeship programme straight from university and start the programme at a later stage.

How is a legal apprenticeship structured?

Harrison Drury’s solicitor apprenticeship is a six-year program which also includes the two years qualifying work experience which is a Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) requirement for all solicitors regardless of whether you choose the apprenticeship or university route.

At the end of the six years the apprentice will sit the Solicitor Qualifying Exams (SQE) which are the same exams sat by candidates who have done the traditional university route. The SQE is split into two elements, from testing functioning legal knowledge with multiple choice questions to testing practical legal skills with written and oral tasks.

The routes to qualification as a solicitor are changing, it is important to keep up to date with the changes to ensure the best path for you.

What advice would you give to others considering an apprenticeship?

If you are at high school or college, make use of your career advisors to discuss subject choices and what is out there. Research the different paths into law including the university and apprenticeship route to find what is best for you.

Finally, gain some practical work experience which provides you with an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into law, the office environment, and colleagues who you would be working alongside. Having work experience also makes you a stronger candidate when applying for training contracts or for qualifying work experience or for legal apprenticeship programs.

Interested in finding out more about a career in law? Our careers page has more details about the opportunities at Harrison Drury.