Pursuing a Legal Apprenticeship: My Path to Becoming a Solicitor

When I finished school, I wasn't sure what subjects to study or career path to take. That all changed when I started working in the insurance industry and began to develop an interest in the legal profession. As a result, I enrolled on a 2-year Higher Education certificate course with the Open University and applied for a position as a legal assistant at MJP Conveyancing.

Working for MJP gave me the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in different departments within the company and valuable training in various areas. My goal was to become a fully qualified solicitor, so I decided to pursue a legal apprenticeship through BPP University.

 

The 6-year apprenticeship scheme consists of 80% practical work within my current role as a paralegal and 20% online coursework, which involves studying one day per week. 

Every week I begin by reading 'Topic of the Week' materials provided by the university, followed by responding to realistic client-based scenarios during my live lessons with other students. Afterwards, I complete multiple choice questions to consolidate my knowledge of that particular topic, before tackling independent reading related directly to my role as a paralegal. At present, I am learning about client care and SRA principles.

 

I also dedicate 5 hours every week outside office hours for taking notes, completing assignments, and revising ahead of exams . So far, I have taken two exams on Client Care and English Legal Systems with four more exams left this year. Managing my studies can be daunting but setting strict schedules for myself has kept me on track with both work and social life commitments.

 

Having completed two years of the scheme, I am truly grateful for being given this opportunity as it not only provides invaluable experience but it is also fully funded by both government and employer - eliminating the need for student debt once qualified! In light of this exciting news, over the next 5 years I plan to continue developing as a paralegal at MJP Conveyancing while gathering enough knowledge and experience necessary for becoming an officially qualified solicitor! 

 

Article written by 

COURTNEY EVANS

APPRENTICE CILEX PARALEGAL

Courtney is currently a paralegal in MJP's  exchange and completions team.  Courtney studied law through the open university and received her certificate of higher education in law 2021.  She was also awarded the title of legal team employee of the year 2021. Outside of work Courtney is a social butterfly who enjoys going on holidays, attending music festivals and spending time with her friends.