At BDB Pitmans we value all routes to qualification, recognising your potential to carve out a successful career in law. With our six year Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship programme you can become a qualified solicitor by completing a law degree and passing the Solicitors Qualifying Exams, with BDB Pitmans covering all of your tuition and assessment fees.
Because we work in small teams, you will benefit from collaborating alongside senior lawyers from the outset, earning a salary whilst gaining real-life legal experience across multiple practice areas. Our supportive, inclusive culture and genuine work-life balance provide opportunities to develop your technical skills, extend your legal knowledge and grow your client relationships, whilst providing you with enough time to dedicate to your apprenticeship studies.
Apprenticeship programme
Throughout the six years of your apprenticeship, you will be working four days a week alongside our solicitors and partners based at our London office, gaining real-life legal experience as you rotate seats across our broad range of practice areas. One day a week will be spent studying for your law degree, an LLB in Legal Practice and Skills, and later your Solicitor Qualifying Exams (SQEs) awarded by the University of Law. This will include online and face-to-face teaching to give you both flexibility and the opportunity for social interaction with other solicitor apprentices in your cohort.
What will I study?
*As BDB Pitmans is a member of the City of London Law Society #CityCentury collaboration, you will also benefit from unique modules specifically designed to expand your understanding of corporate legal practice in the City, as well as additional SQE Plus modules to align your business skills with those of graduate trainees.
What will the work experience look like?
Over the six years, you will rotate seats annually, allowing you to explore a wide range of legal practice areas which could include:
In years five and six, although you will be paid a trainee salary, you will still keep to yearly rotations (rather than the usual 4x 6 monthly rotations that our trainees undertake). This is because we want you to be able to focus on your exams, rather than having to adjust to new departments and processes so regularly. Above all, we want you to succeed, and as such have thought carefully about how best we can support you along your apprenticeship journey.
Eligibility
Salary and benefits
For London apprentices, your starting salary will be £24,000 and you will receive regular increases as you progress through the programme. By your fifth year, your salary will match that of a graduate trainee solicitor.
What are we looking for?
The legal sector is dynamic and fast-moving. Being a solicitor is a challenging but rewarding career, and we’re looking for the next generation of talented individuals who can make their mark by contributing to our firm’s success.
The key skills and qualities we look out for are:
We do not expect you to have legal work experience! Remember, you will have gained transferable skills from across many areas of your life, whether that be academic, extracurricular, volunteering, caring or part time jobs to name but a few so do draw upon your experiences.
The application process
We want you to feel that you can showcase the best of yourself. At each recruitment stage, you will have the opportunity to let us know if we can make the process more comfortable and accessible for you. We will contact you by email to keep you updated on your application’s progress.
Our recruitment process will not require you to submit a CV or take an online test. We want to know about you as a person; your passions and motivations, why you want to become a solicitor and why you have chosen BDB Pitmans. If you have any further questions, please reach out to our team.
Pastoral support and wellbeing
In partnership with the University of Law, we want you to feel supported every step of the way. This is why you can benefit from wellbeing provisions available to all our employees, as well as a dedicated skills coach, mentor, buddy and supervisor to help guide you through your programme and give you the confidence to achieve your potential and progress your career.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion at BDB Pitmans
At BDB Pitmans, our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion sits at the heart of who we are as a firm. It affects all areas of law firm life, and strongly informs our approach to working with clients, partners, and the communities we serve.
Not only are there extensive opportunities to be involved in and support any of our six active employee network groups who represent a range of EDI strands and run events throughout the year, but also occasions to work closely on our social mobility initiatives and partnerships.
All applications to our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme are welcomed and considered on the merits of the applicant alone, regardless of socio-economic background and protected characteristics (Equality Act 2010).
Application window
Applications open in December 2023 and close on Monday 19 February 2024 for a September 2024 start.
To register your interest to be notified when applications open for the above programmes, please fill in and submit the form.
