Meet Dylan - Solicitor Apprentice

Hi, my name is Dylan, and I am a second year Solicitor Apprentice. I am from North-West London and have grown up there all my life. I am 19 and so finished my A Levels last year and know exactly what it's like to feel the pressure of applying to firms alongside studying. 

I decided on a career in law because at its root, I was a debater. In school and at the dinner table I loved to share my opinions and share my thoughts on a situation. As such, I had strong opinions and felt like the best place for me to develop those skills of articulation and coming up with well-founded opinions was law. I decided to go down the apprenticeship route instead of other qualification routes due to the simple fact that I found my last year of school boring. Simply waiting for an exam at the end of the year and studying relentlessly for that was pointless. I wanted to be challenged intellectually every day with new ideas. So, I thought that the apprenticeship would provide me with that intellectual stimulation, over potential boredom at university for example.  

Finding apprenticeships was easier due to websites like City Century which show all of the top London Law Firms which offer these programs. As such, it became clear to me that there is a plethora of opportunities and firms out there that offer these schemes. 

If I had to describe my job in a sentence or so, I would say, my job is to be the most useful person in the team for those that are senior to me. Whether it is drafting a research memo, running down to court to drop of documents, or simply welcoming a client before a meeting, I feel my job is to be the person that provides consistent value to my colleagues in the department. Day-to-day, the job varies. Some days I will be quiet and can sneak in some university work and other days, I will be busy that from start to finish, I am working on a different matter. All in all, every day I get to see different people at the firm and enjoy working with them in the office. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year as an apprentice due to the incredible number of new skills and techniques I have learnt balanced with the freedom and stability that working life can give. The highlight of my apprenticeship so far has been going to court multiple times and helping towards the success of a matter in a different jurisdiction. With my supervisor's assistance I gained many new skills. 

At my firm, I have multiple support networks. I am part of the Asian Professional's Network: Fusion, where I have now taken the role of Communications Lead. I am also part of the Inspire Gender Equality Network. Alongside those, I am part of the general apprentice community and so have great support across all areas of the firm. 

Balancing working and studying takes time to master. In your first month, you will try different strategies but eventually you will figure it out. For me, I try and get all my university work done in the first few weeks of term so I can take the study day a bit easier but there are so many strategies, one can employ. Knowing how you work is the best tool, as you can set up your schedule according to your optimal style. 

Overall, my main piece of advice for someone thinking about doing an apprenticeship is this: ask yourself, are you certain about doing law as a career path? Sometimes it will be difficult, you might have hard days. If you know Law is for you, then this programme provides so many benefits for you to enjoy both short term and long term.