Case study

Isaac Lonsdale — Solicitor apprentice

Employer
Weil Gotshal & Manges

After completing his A-levels, Isaac managed to secure a Level 7 solicitor degree apprenticeship with leading international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges

Why did you decide on a career in law?

I've always had an interest in the business world so I knew I wanted to work in a corporate industry. I also felt like this background would give a good foundation to my commercial awareness, which is a key skill for a career in law.

In particular, law stood out because of the complexity involved in high-value matters, which appealed to me as challenging and stimulating. It's also a really collaborative industry, involving working as part of a small team and therefore taking on responsibility and getting to work closely with senior lawyers.

Why opt for an apprenticeship over other qualification routes?

I chose the apprenticeship route for the opportunity to spend six years working alongside some of the City's best lawyers and benefitting from their experience, before qualifying. As well as being a great way to build my network and develop my technical skills through hands-on learning, this experience has already allowed me to build a better understanding of how the firm operates - especially as I have had the opportunity to spend time in a range of business services teams before moving into a fee-earning team.

The ability to earn while studying for my degree has also made moving to London far more achievable, which has meant I have been able to live and work in an exciting city from the age of 18.

How did you find and apply for your apprenticeship?

I first heard about solicitor apprenticeships on social media and found Weil specifically after looking into apprenticeships on various careers websites.

I applied directly via Weil's website. The first stage was completing a written application, which included a summary of my qualifications and work experience, as well as competency and motivational questions.

I then progressed to a pre-recorded video interview, followed by a Zoom interview with a member of the Early Careers & Development team, and finally attended an in-person assessment centre which included a group task, written exercise and partner interview.

Tell us about your apprenticeship.

My Level 7 apprenticeship is six years and by the end of it I will have received a law degree, completed the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), and become a fully qualified solicitor.

I'm in the office four days a week. The first four months were spent in different business services teams, which gave a really well rounded appreciation for how a law firm works as a business. For the remainder of the six years, I will rotate through seven different legal departments for six to 12 months in each team.

On Fridays, I study for my law degree in person at BPP and, towards the end of my apprenticeship, I'll move on to studying for my SQE exams there too.

What kind of tasks do you complete on a typical day?

Having started my apprenticeship sitting in business services seats, business development and accounts, my daily tasks have been a bit different to traditional legal tasks and have proved invaluable to me.

In business development, I had the opportunity to work on preparing pitches for new matters from clients. This was really interesting as I was able to see the process of how law firms market themselves and bring in work, especially in understanding what clients are looking for from our lawyers. This experience will be invaluable as I become more senior, and the responsibility for generating work increases.

In accounts, I worked a lot on the process of billing clients. This has allowed me to further understand the finances and behind the scenes processes of a law firm.

What do you enjoy about your apprenticeship?

I really enjoy that I'm already involved with real work, as opposed to only focusing on the theory at university. It's exciting to know that soon I'll be contributing to work for high profile Weil clients. Some of the theoretical study of law can be quite far removed from actually practising, so the apprenticeship is a great way to build up practical and relevant knowledge and skills, and put the theory into practice.

The social life for apprentices is also great. As well as plenty of events organised by firms and other organisations, there are also opportunities for more informal socialising organised by apprentices across different firms, which are great for getting to know each other professionally and personally. I definitely don't feel like I'm missing out on the university lifestyle.

What are the challenges?

Balancing work, study and a social life can be challenging at times, especially when there are so many networking events but over time it's become easier to get into a routine which means having more free time.

I also found that adapting to the working environment was quite a steep learning curve, in terms of how to communicate and stay organised. However, I quickly learned from supervisors and built up good habits and am now comfortable working in such a setting.

How do you balance working with studying?

I try to use my study day to complete the bulk of my university work, but I also spread some of the reading throughout the week to make it more manageable. Sometimes there are chances to get a bit of studying in at the office during downtime, after work before an event or while travelling, and I try to maximise my free time.

Going to university in person means that we're a really close class, and that makes the learning side of the apprenticeship more collaborative and enjoyable. It definitely helps to be able to discuss the course with other apprentices and find out how other people are balancing the workload.

Can you debunk a myth about working in law?

Law has a reputation for being quite a hierarchal industry, but I've definitely found this to be the opposite. From my first day at the firm, I've met plenty of senior lawyers who have been incredibly welcoming and more than happy to talk to me, ensuring I have settled in quickly.

What advice can you give to other aspiring apprentices?

My main advice is to sit down and create a list of experiences which could be talked about in applications and interviews and identify where you have developed skills such as teamwork, organisation or communication.

This helps to draw out the transferable skills built from doing things which might not initially seem relevant to a solicitor apprenticeship application - these experiences don't have to be directly relevant to law. Some of the best skills might, for example, come from sport, volunteering or a part-time job. It also helps in an interview when put on the spot to think of an example of how you've developed certain skills.

Some application and interview questions also focus on commercial awareness, so it's a good idea to build up an understanding of recent news and trends in business, and how they might affect a firm like Weil or our clients. It's best to do this gradually, by regularly reading and understanding the news and listening to podcasts. Even being able to demonstrate a real interest in these topics can be a great way to stand out in the recruitment process.

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