Solicitor Apprenticeship

Paving a new way to qualification. You can qualify as a solicitor by undertaking on-the-job training while studying for a law degree and the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE) over six years.

Our Solicitor Apprenticeship is a Level 7 qualification combining study with work to allow you to qualify as a solicitor without incurring student debt often associated with attending university. You'll learn on-the-job at our London office, alongside a small cohort of solicitor apprentices, while studying for one day a week at the University of Law to obtain an LLB Law degree and complete the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE). At the end of the apprenticeship, you'll be a qualified solicitor.

Applying to us

To become a solicitor apprentice at Bird & Bird, you can apply through our Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme. We are recruiting for our September 2025 cohort of solicitor apprentices.

You can apply if you can commence the apprenticeship in September 2025. At the time of submitting your application, you should be:

• in your final year of A-Levels (Year 13) or have already completed school or college (e.g., on a gap year or working).
• at least 18 years of age at the start date of the apprenticeship.
• and have the right to work in the UK.

Please note that university students and graduates aren't eligible for this opportunity - you can apply for a trainee solicitor role by attending a vacation scheme.

You should also have or expect to have 5 GCSEs including English and Maths at grade 9-4/A*-C and 3 A-Levels at AAB (or equivalent). We understand that you may not have received the grade you hoped for due to extenuating or mitigating circumstances. Please detail any relevant information in your application for us to take into consideration. We also use a Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) to enable us to recruit people from different backgrounds and help us understand your achievements in the context in which they were gained.

Stage 1 - Online application form
Stage 2 - Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking test
Stage 3 - Pre-recorded video interview
Stage 4 – In-person assessment centre

Go to our employability hub, The Nest, to develop your legal skills and commercial awareness, learn about the recruitment process and what we look for in successful candidates, and general advice on navigating your career in law.