Our Solicitor Apprenticeship offers an exciting opportunity to start your legal career within a leading international law firm while working towards qualification as a solicitor. From day one, you'll be immersed in a dynamic and collaborative environment, gaining valuable hands-on experience and contributing to real client work alongside experienced legal professionals.
As a Solicitor Apprentice, you'll develop practical legal skills while studying towards the Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship, a fully funded LLB in Legal Practice and Skills, and the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Combining academic study with workplace experience allows you to apply your learning in a real-world setting and build the knowledge, confidence and expertise needed for a successful legal career.
Designed for ambitious individuals with a strong desire to learn and grow, this programme provides a unique opportunity to earn while you learn. With no university tuition fees to pay and a competitive salary throughout the programme, you'll benefit from professional development, structured support and a clear pathway to qualification as a solicitor.
If you'd like to find out more about life at Pinsent Masons and our apprenticeship opportunities, we encourage you to attend one of our in-person or virtual Insight Events. Visit our Events page to discover upcoming sessions and register your place.
Applications for our 2027 apprenticeship opportunities will open in autumn 2026.
In addition to the eligibility requirements outlined above, the following guidance may help you determine whether you are eligible to apply:
Students who have completed more than one year of a law degree are typically not eligible for this programme, as their skills and knowledge exceed the level of this apprenticeship.
If you have any questions please get in touch with us at [email protected].
This is what makes a great apprentice at Pinsent Masons. Throughout our recruitment process, we look for people who demonstrate the skills, behaviours and potential needed to thrive at the firm and contribute positively to our culture.
Our apprenticeship salaries are subject to review on an annual basis. The current starting solicitor apprenticeship salary rates are as follows:
Apprentices are welcomed to the firm with a comprehensive induction programme.
Solicitor Apprentices have a dedicated weekly study day studying legal foundation subjects, skills modules and preparing for a range of assessments, including the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Solicitor apprentices spend the remaining four days per week working with colleagues in the office. You will also complete weekly tasks and receive regular feedback from your subject tutor, as well as meet with the Skills Coach to support your progress.
Solicitor Apprentices could be based in any Practice Groups. The specific departments change due to apprentices rotating throughout the programme. Examples include Employment & Incentives, Commercial, Corporate, Property, Intellectual Property, Litigation & Regulatory, Insurance, Investment Funds, Finance & Restructuring.
In the first four years of your apprenticeship, you will be based in two legal teams, spending two years in each. This structure is designed to give you in-depth experience and continuity within each team, allowing you to build strong relationships and develop a deeper understanding of the legal work involved.
During the final two years, you will join the trainee solicitor cohort and undertake six-month placements in four different departments, gaining broad exposure to commercial law.
As the legal landscape and our business evolve, we may update the structure and rotation schedule of the Solicitor Apprenticeship programme. These changes help us maintain a high standard of training and ensure our apprentices are well-prepared for the future of legal practice.
Some travel within the UK and Ireland will be required during your apprenticeship. We will reimburse any travel-related business expenses in line with our policy to enable you to meet the business needs and access relevant training opportunities.
We first check that you're eligible for the programme you're applying to. If you are, we'll ask you to provide information about your academic background and any relevant employment history.
The next stage of the recruitment process will involve completing our online blended assessment. This includes completing a range of situational judgment questions, a short written exercise and two video questions, allowing us to evaluate how you would perform in different scenarios.
If you pass the online blended assessment, we’ll ask you to book a place at one of our in-person assessment centres which will likely take place in March/April 2027. You will complete three exercises over the day – this will include a one-to-one interview, a business simulation exercise and a case study.
Whatever the outcome, we’ll let you know as soon as we can after the assessment centre. If you display the key attributes we are looking for and perform well throughout the assessment, we’ll send you an offer and talk you through the onboarding process.
Throughout your apprenticeship you will work on real-life legal projects alongside experienced solicitors. You will be involved in client meetings, assist solicitors with legal matters, conduct legal research, draft correspondence and documents, and prepare files and bundles. As you progress in your role, you will be introduced to more advanced tasks to help you build a portfolio and work towards the level 7 qualification. These tasks may involve preparing client training, leading client meetings, and progressing matters and transactions.
You will be supported by a supervisor who is an experienced solicitor, a dedicated Early Talent team, and fellow legal apprentices. In addition, you will be allocated a buddy to help you settle into both working and studying. You will join a comprehensive induction programme and receive training that combines on-the-job learning with structured sessions, ensuring you are fully equipped to succeed in your role. Furthermore, you will have access to a wide range of courses available through our Pinsent Masons Learning and Development team, enabling you to develop your skills and build a successful career.
Upon successful completion of the 6-year Solicitor Apprenticeship and Solicitors Qualifying Examination, subject to SRA character and suitability assessment, you will become a qualified solicitor and have a chance to join our Newly Qualified (NQ) Solicitor recruitment process which includes interviews and technical skills assessments. Our Graduate Development team work closely with the business to identify which roles are available and share a list with Solicitor Apprentices and Trainee Solicitors in the final year of their programme. You will be able to apply for a small number of vacancies across the firm’s offices. The outcome will be based on your performance at assessment and throughout your apprenticeship. This gives you every opportunity to further your career with a leading firm in your chosen area of law.
To start your application, please click on apply now. Once you have registered an account, you will need to complete the following before the application closing date:
Once you have submitted all of the above, our recruitment team will review your application alongside your online blended assessment and will be in touch in due course regarding your outcome.
The number of available roles and their location depends on business needs and can change each year. Please keep an eye on this website for updates.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer virtual assessment centres for this programme. All assessment centres will be held in person. Anticipated assessment centre timeframes can be found within the 'Key dates' section above.
During the solicitor apprenticeship you will be supported by a Pinsent Masons supervisor who is an experienced solicitor, a dedicated Early Talent team, and a skills coach. You will also have access to student support and wellbeing services through your training provider.
Throughout your journey you will also have a chance to meet and network with the Pinsent Masons apprentices who are studying towards a range of apprenticeship standards.
Please include your predicted A-Level (or equivalent qualification) grades in your application form. If you’re successful in securing an apprenticeship with us, we will ask you to confirm your obtained grades on your A-Level (or equivalent) results day.
When completing the online blended assessment, any responses you submit must be your own and should accurately reflect your judgment and abilities.
We may ask questions that require you to draw on your own experiences, analysis or decision-making. AI-generated responses often lack the personal insight, authenticity and critical thinking that we are looking for.
For this reason, you cannot use AI-generated scripts or responses during the online blended assessment. This includes AI-generated answers you’ve modified. Any choices you make should genuinely represent your own skills, perspectives and potential.
This also means that your video responses should be delivered in your own words and reflect your experiences and thinking. We are interested in understanding how you approach different situations, so we encourage you to provide authentic answers.
Each year we receive a large number of applications for our apprenticeship programmes. We review all applications following the application closing date and contact the candidates once the full screening process is completed. While this process can take a few months, we will share the outcome of your application as soon as we can.
If you don’t complete the online blended assessment and submit your full application before the closing date your application will be withdrawn.
You don’t need to have legal work experience to apply for an apprenticeship. Our application form allows you to provide up to 5 of your most relevant experiences. This can be anything you’ve done, such as part-time or full-time jobs, placements, work experience, volunteering, sports activities, extracurriculars, positions of responsibility etc.
If you have any questions please contact our early talent team at [email protected]
If you’re an A-Level student thinking about an apprenticeship, you might be wondering: will I still have a fun and active social life? I had the same questions. Here’s what I’ve experienced so far, in my first few months as a Solicitor Degree Apprentice at Pinsent Masons and why I think you’ll love it…
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