Howes Percival is backing legal apprenticeships by welcoming the firm’s largest cohort yet for the alternative route to becoming a solicitor.
Howes Percival launched its apprenticeship programme in 2022, and the firm’s first solicitor apprentices are due to qualify from 2027. With a cohort of five new apprentices this year, Howes Percival now has 15 in total on the programme.
The legal apprenticeship route generally takes around 6.5 years and combines on-the-job training with independent study. The structure means that apprentices are involved in practical work from the outset while steadily building their legal expertise, meaning it can also provide a debt-free route into the legal profession.
Apprentices start by undertaking a 2-year paralegal apprenticeship, followed by the 4-year solicitor apprenticeship course. At the end of the course, the apprentice achieves an LLB (Hons) in Law and Legal Practice and then sit the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.
This year, for the first time, the firm’s new apprentices will undertake placements across the different areas of practice to help build an understanding of where they would like to practice in future.
The new apprentices join seven other trainees who are following the traditional Howes Percival graduate trainee programme.
Howes Percival’s People Director, Natalie Clarke said,
Since starting the apprenticeship programme, the results have been really positive. We are committed to nurturing all the great talent within our business, and a number of our apprentices have transitioned from internal roles such as secretaries and paralegals. Our aim is for our apprentices to take all the valuable knowledge they gain from working at Howes Percival day-to-day while developing their legal expertise to eventually become a well-rounded legal professional who is deeply embedded in our firm’s culture and values.
The scheme also aligns with Howes Percival’s broader commitment to accessibility and social mobility. By offering a debt-free route into the legal profession, the firm attracts a wider pool of candidates who can bring fresh perspectives and diverse talents.
For more information about careers at Howes Percival, please click here.
