Solicitor Apprenticeship

Welcome to Addleshaw Goddard - an international law firm, almost 250 years in the making. We’re trusted by over 3000 major organisations, including 51 FTSE 100 companies, to solve problems, deliver deals, defend rights, comply with regulations and mitigate risk. Our work spans more than 50 areas of business law, paving the way to deliver the best possible outcomes for clients across multiple industries.

Appointed time and again, we help them do business, operate and grow - effectively and safely - in over 100 countries worldwide. And while the challenges our clients bring us may vary, we approach and solve them with the same, single-minded focus: finding the smartest way to achieve the biggest impact.

Our Values

From the work we do to the culture we foster and the partnerships we form, every last part of Addleshaw Goddard is driven by three core values: quality, imagination, and impact.

We welcome everyone, support people to achieve their full potential, and always seek smart ways to have a positive impact – for our clients, colleagues, and communities around the world.

More imagination. More impact.

We act for clients whatever the scale of their requirements. We have been instructed 51 FTSE 100 companies in the last 2 years, including Associated British Foods, SSE, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC and British Land. Our business is about great client relationships built on successful delivery across national and international markets. Equally important is high loyalty which is proven through 75% of our clients who have been with us for more than 10 years.

The range and scale of our work is compelling and encompasses high value strategic advice to the everyday. It means we are able to attract talented, like-minded individuals who love what they do, are committed to our client's success, and strive to build valued partnerships through our collective energy and expertise.

Solicitor Apprenticeship

We recognise that university is not for everyone and welcome a pathway that acknowledges a different approach to kick start your career. Earn a salary from day one and build your skills and knowledge with experienced reputable professionals. Our Apprenticeship Schemes provide individuals with invaluable work experience in an award-winning premium law firm.

This programme will see our Solicitor Apprentices develop their knowledge and skills further by getting involved in day-to-day tasks of an experienced Paralegal and Trainee Solicitor, whilst attending university one day a week. The programme will involve seat rotations, providing valuable insight into all the services we provide.

Whilst training as a solicitor apprentice, you will support the Paralegals and Senior Paralegals within the different sub teams in TST, as well as fee earners across the firm with routine legal tasks for the first four years. In the remaining two years of the apprenticeship, you will join the Trainee Solicitor cohort and will complete seat rotations organised by the Early Careers team to gain valuable insight into all the services we provide. You will also have the option to apply to do a seat in the Innovation and Legal Technology team. The work may come from any of the firm's groups, and as a result, you will be working on a wide variety of assignments. The complexity of work and responsibility will develop over the course of the apprenticeship.

You will spend one day per week studying with our training provider, BPP University, where you will work towards your Law degree. Addleshaw Goddard will cover the entire tuition fee, and you will also earn a salary from day one, which will increase as you progress during your training.

Upon obtaining your law degree, you will begin to prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE) part 1 and 2. Once you have successfully completed the exams, you will then become a qualified solicitor and have the opportunity to apply for newly qualified roles within Addleshaw Goddard.

Qualification achieved: Solicitor Level 7 Apprenticeship LLB (Hons) Law and Legal Practice awarded by BPP university

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at Addleshaw Goddard

At Addleshaw Goddard, we recognise the importance of nurturing an inclusive culture to help us attract, retain and enable our people to be the best they can be.

In 2020 we introduced a new, Board approved inclusion strategy, which included:

• Allocating senior leadership roles across 5 key strands of inclusion (Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, LGBTQ+ and Social Mobility), including senior partners and business services leads.
• The setting of targets for ethnicity and gender across our business.
• The setting of short-, medium- and long-term goals to keep us accountable.

Since 2020 we have kept our strategy under review to ensure that it remains ambitious and reflects the needs of our people.  And hope that this strategic approach will create greater equality within our firm and foster a greater sense of belonging amongst our people.

Now in 2024, our commitment to DE&I remains firm.  We've invested heavily in our employee networks (which now have nearly 700 members) which include:

• Ability Forum (disability and carers)
• AG Embrace (race and ethnicity)
• OpenAG (LGBTQ+)
• The Vine (gender)
• Social Mobility Volunteers (social mobility)

We also have two faith networks (our Muslim and Jewish communities) which colleagues can join.