Meet our paralegal apprentices
After achieving her A-levels, aspiring solicitor Charley Thompson discovered that the traditional routes to qualification were costly. Her five-year paralegal apprenticeship programme — which integrates the SQE — has enabled her to progress without the need for student finance. It also gives her the flexibility of either becoming a qualified paralegal or progressing onto a solicitor apprenticeship in future.
“I’ve gained invaluable experience”, she said, “progressing to qualification alongside working at Brabners. I find this route more suitable for myself as I’m able to put my new knowledge into practice, gain workplace experience and surround myself with professionals who support me in my apprenticeship — all while avoiding student debt”.
Charley has been a huge success so far and hopes to progress to become a solicitor apprentice in the near future — a pathway also chosen by Kieran King and Tom Feeney, who both took a slightly different route into their apprenticeships by first completing law degrees.
Kieran joined us in 2021 and currently works as a paralegal in our housing and regeneration litigation team. He also saw traditional routes to qualification as impractical and costly, but his 18-month apprenticeship route — which again integrates the SQE — is now helping Kieran to progress to qualification without further student finance and allocated study time during the working week.
Kieran said: “My apprenticeship provides a wonderful balance between on-the-job experience and additional learning. I firmly believe that this route to qualification gives me the best possible grounding for becoming a becoming a solicitor in the future.
The apprenticeship has given me the ability to study further key legal topics ahead of my SQE exams and has helped broaden my overall skillset. It allows me to simultaneously learn new information while applying it in my day-to-day role.”
Tom Feeney also joined us in 2021 as a paralegal and now works as a graduate solicitor apprentice in our litigation team. He said, “the graduate solicitor apprenticeship route has been a fantastic opportunity in allowing me a time- and cost-effective route to qualification while continuing my employment and development in the litigation department.”
The importance of apprenticeships
Damar Training is a leading provider of business and professional apprenticeships whose culture of excellence, ambition and inclusive learning strongly aligns with our own values.
As Damar’s Managing Director — Jonathan Bourne — puts it:
“The transformative power of apprenticeships doesn’t receive the attention that it should. There really is something magical about the impact that can be created through a combination of real work with a supportive employer, coaching and training from a committed provider and an ambitious apprentice.
Having worked in apprenticeships for nearly 18 years, I’ve lost count of the number of people I have seen at DAMAR who have grown in confidence, skills and experience. It’s so rewarding to see apprentices’ salaries and responsibilities at work increase, buy cars and homes and start their careers unburdened by student debt.
Yet the power of ‘good’ apprenticeships reaches far wider than the apprentice themselves — employers, colleagues, families and wider society all benefit too. Such benefits are magnified further when an employer commits — as Brabners has done with its Careers Pathways programme — to integrating apprenticeships as part of a firm-wide approach to talent attraction, retention and development”.
BARBRI's Business Development Director, Jonathan Worrell, adds:
“Employers are starting to recognise the power of legal apprenticeships and the benefits they bring. I see rapid growth in this space. This route opens up doors to new talent and provides a flexible, supportive and rewarding option for the next generation of lawyers.
Damar’s proven experience as an apprenticeship provider — supported by BARBRI’s innovative learning technology and platform — is an exciting way to become a qualified solicitor in 2024”.
Opportunities for non-lawyers
It’s not all about our solicitors when it comes to apprenticeships. We have a wide range of opportunities available, including in marketing, finance, people and leadership. Such focus on our non-legal functions is part of the reason why we were named as the best law firm and 11th best large company to work for in the UK for 2024. We want to recognise talent in all our people and support them in moving their career forward.
“I learned about different types of clients and how to take the right approach in dealing with them”, Isaac said.
“This then helped me to develop my confidence and attitude when building relationships with clients. I received many insights from my colleagues and mangers about what they did in their roles... Also, colleagues helped to provide evidence for my work with reviews and statements.
If you’re considering an apprenticeship, it comes with a lot of benefits — such as learning while you’re earning — but not only that, it gives you an understanding of the work you’re doing and which roles you might want to do in the future”.
Again, can we emphasise recognising talent in our people and supporting them to move their career in that direction, by offering apprenticeship routes that support their progression and career aspirations.
Brabners Career Pathways
We’re proudly committed to supporting our people to achieve their career goals.
Our apprenticeship programmes aim to help people enter the legal profession and attain the appropriate qualifications. As an accredited Living Wage Employer, our apprentices receive Living Wage salaries and great development opportunities.
With a wide range of toolkits, guidance, study resources and financial support available, our apprenticeships are a powerful, flexible and inclusive route to further your career ambitions.
Learn more about our career pathways and partnership with BARBRI.
