Solicitor Apprentice

Join Us as a Solicitor Apprentice at Shakespeare Martineau!

Do you want a career in the legal sector?

Are you an ambitious, creative, and driven individual ready to kick-start your legal career?

If you’re interested in a career in the legal sector, then our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme may be for you.

We are deeply passionate about providing talented young people the opportunity to explore a career in law. Through our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme, we will provide support, training, ongoing development, and financial support that will allow you to reach your full potential.

All of your tuition fees will be paid and best of all, you will earn a salary whilst you are training and gaining your qualification.

By the end of your apprenticeship, subject to satisfactory performance, you will be a fully qualified solicitor and registered with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA).

At Shakespeare Martineau we offer a dynamic and supportive environment where you can develop your skills, gain valuable hands-on experience, and grow into a successful solicitor. With many years of experience supporting legal professionals from diverse backgrounds in their journey to becoming solicitors, Shakespeare Martineau should your top choice.

Programme Details:

• Location: Birmingham or Nottingham
• Start Date: September 2025 (or earlier if you re available)
• Length of Apprenticeship: 6 years (initial 2 years Paralegal qualification)
• Work/Study Pattern: One day study/four days on the job training
• Qualifications to be obtained: Level 4 Paralegal followed by LLB Law Degree and Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE) qualification to be an England & Wales Solicitor
• Eligibility: Predicted BBB at A-Level or equivalent - please note we will review each application in detail and take extenuating circumstances into account if you have not met this benchmark.

However, applicants must not have completed a previous degree and must have the right to work in the UK

Why Choose Us?

• Creative Environment: Our offices reflect our culture. We’re a vibrant forward-thinking firm that values fresh ideas and diversity of thought.
• Diverse Legal Exposure: We are a full-service law firm with over 12 offices across the UK. We work across a range of practice areas.
• Bespoke Training: We have an exciting and creative Early Ambitions team that offer a range of development opportunities. Benefit from structured, personalized training programs designed to accelerate your professional development.
• Supportive Mentorship: Opportunity to learn from experienced solicitors who are dedicated to helping you reach your full potential.
• Path to Qualification: We are committed to guiding you through every step of your journey to qualification, ensuring you receive the experience and support you need.

Who We’re Looking For: We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. All we ask is to be curious, brave and have a passion for a career in law, a desire to make a positive impact on the communities in which we operate and enthusiasm to develop your career. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Comprehensive training contract leading to qualification
• The opportunity to work with high-profile clients and on exciting cases
• A diverse and inclusive workplace

Benefits, Agile Working and Additional information

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have hubs in Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leicester, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Solihull, Southampton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Lincoln and Sheffield.

Want to find out more about our amazing benefits?

Additional information:

Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Equal opportunities

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.