The Legal Cheek View
Launched in 2020 to open up diverse pathways into the profession, Lewis Silkin’s solicitor apprenticeship programme recruits two school-leavers to their London office biannually. The programme is built on allowing apprentices to get practical experience with lawyers in the firm’s distinctive media and employment specialisms from day one. This includes opportunities in commercial and real estate deals, trademarks and IP, employment law, immigration, or the nitty-gritty of dispute resolution. The client list is similarly diverse, from household names and multinationals, to start-ups, to small businesses — and even other law firms!
Asking Lewis Silkin’s apprentices why they opted for apprenticeship over university, we found a variety of experiences. One apprentice told us he “first considered a university degree” and even “got as far as receiving offers from universities”, however was ultimately drawn to an apprenticeship for “the chance to earn whilst I learned, and gain the practical, hands-on experience from the start.” For other apprentices, the decision was very simple: “The apprenticeship offer was unmatched,” another apprentice told us, “Rather than spending three years studying theory, I wanted to learn law in real legal environments from day one. The apprenticeship fast-tracks you into genuine legal practice while still providing structured qualifications.”
Apprentices at Lewis Silkin spend four days a week at work, with one day of study and join up with the firm’s trainee cohort in year five. All this means that, besides an LLB under your belt and your SQE done, you’ll have over six years of paid legal experience before qualifying as a solicitor.
And what goes on in those four days a week? Well, at LS, it’s supportive on-the-job training, meaning you can expect to begin with legal research, liaising with clients and admin tasks. Yet, as they develop their lawyerly skills, apprentices will begin to tackle more complex research, work on technical transactions, and begin drafting legal documents — all while growing client-facing and negotiation skills.
The combination of interesting legal work and positive work culture drew our apprentice insiders to Lewis Silkin’s programme in particular. As one source put it, “Lewis Silkin was like finding a Swiss Army knife of law firms — everything I wanted from different firms combined in one place.” Readers might be relieved to know that, unlike a Swiss Army knife, this recruit has found the firm “relaxed and genuinely friendly” while another praises “the firm’s ethos of bravery and kindness.” Apprentices were also able to link the firm’s work to their own life experiences. “I admired their efforts in DEI and the practice areas they offer,” one apprentice explained, adding “The firm’s work within the sports sector — particularly in the Digital, Commerce and Creative team — really interested me, being an ex-gymnast of 10 years.”
School-leavers put off by the prospect of entering a stuffy corporate workplace need look no further than Lewis Silkin. Apprentices describe “an open plan non-hierarchical office where I sit alongside partners, associates, and business services teams” and a culture which “genuinely values giving their employees a work/life balance” and holds strong “ethics and values”. One insider assured us “There’s no tie-and-suit formality, just high-quality work in a smaller learning environment where you’re not lost in the crowd unlike in a bigger firm.” The cherry on top for this recruit is “exceptional leadership from partners who stop to chat in the corridor and remember your name.”
Another of our sources offered this insight: “The legal industry can be very daunting; however, the lifestyle Lewis Silkin has shown me is fit for those like me who work to live instead of live to work but still wants to be in a demanding and challenging career.” This friendly approach alongside “extremely high-quality work for household name clients” makes for a winning combination!
The first four years of Lewis Silkin’s apprenticeship programme are made up of a seat in Immigration in the first two years, Employment or Legal Tech for one year, and then Employment or Legal Tech for one year (sitting in whichever team they didn’t for their third year). This allows apprentices to gain varied experience in a range of practice areas alongside working towards their LLB. The firm has revealed that from third year onwards solicitor apprentices will have the opportunity to experience a client secondment — a particularly exciting offer from Lewis Silkin, whose clients include exciting tech companies, top fashion brands and media titans. In years five and six, apprentices will join the firm’s training contract seat rotation, rotating between seats on a six-monthly basis while swotting up for the SQE.
Legal Cheek heard that Lewis Silkin’s apprenticeship is chock full of practical hands-on experience, allowing apprentices to make a real difference. One of our sources told us, “I have had a plethora of work experience across different legal practice groups at Lewis Silkin. My training has allowed me to acquire a skill-set that includes not only soft skills, like interpersonal skills for example, but also technical skills. I feel I’ve had a well-rounded experience of life as a lawyer so far as an apprentice.” Another gave this insight into his apprenticeship so far, “I’ve helped knowledge lawyers draft website articles, joined calls with partners, and supported paralegals and associates — I’m now described as a ‘core team member’ rather than just an apprentice.” This forward-thinking rookie has also had to the chance to “collaborate with our Legal Tech team on AI solutions and document automation to streamline processes in our legal practice groups.”
While there is a lot to learn, you will be supported from the start. As well as your fellow rookie(s), all apprentices will enjoy a dedicated supervisor to help managing workload and support you in your professional development. As one of our insiders told us, “To complement the practical experience, I have received comprehensive training on my practice area, but also on important principles and skills which I need to apply regularly in my role. This goes hand in hand with the training I receive from the apprenticeship provider, BPP, who teach us important professional skills.”
On top of this is a network of mentors and buddies, meaning there are friendly faces on hand at every turn to offer advice and guidance as you navigate the legal world. For those struggles inside and outside work that may be a little more personal, everyone at Lewis Silkin has access to the employee assistance programme and to the firm’s counsellor. On the more casual side, team-building is big at Lewis Silkin, and this means everything from DEI and responsible business activities to regular social events.
Our insiders describe being actively involved with shaping their training and emphasise the firm’s receptiveness to feedback. We heard that, “Being one of the first apprentices at Lewis Silkin has been a learning curve for both me and the firm. As time has progressed and solicitor apprenticeships have become more popular, we have worked together to better understand the apprenticeship programme and its requirements.” Another apprentice chimed in, “The training has been exceptional because I get input into shaping my own apprenticeship experience” and added that “beyond legal work, I’m trusted to lead initiatives like a new podcast series and social mobility programs.” We heard that the firm maintains an “entrepreneurial” culture in which “you’re actively encouraged to bring new ideas to the table.”
The apprentices at Lewis Silkin sure are busy bees! But between studying, working and getting involved with firm life, how do they fit it all in? “For the most part, it has been entirely manageable,” one apprentice told us, although he admits that “there are some pressure points around exam periods.” Another source explained that “for me, managing my workload at work has never been an issue; it is the university work that is more challenging. To make sure I keep the two balanced, I prioritise my study day every week dedicating it to either revision or coursework.” Organisation is the name of the game when it comes to balancing competing priorities, as this apprentice put it: “Studying alongside working does require discipline and commitment, but most of all you need effective organisation and time management. This is to ensure you can dedicated adequate time to your studies throughout your programme whilst still performing in your daily role.”
Every apprentice we spoke to praised the firm’s support for apprentices as they balance their busy lives. “My supervisor and the wider firm have always been hugely supportive of my studies and ensured I have enough time to complete them and have been supportive when I have needed assistance or advice,” we heard from one source.
“The firm has been incredibly supportive, providing dedicated study days and flexible time off for exams and coursework deadlines,” echoed another. We were also told that “the firm is also very flexible with allowing [apprentices] to get any university work done when times are quiet in the workplace with client matters.”
This support and their commitment to careful organisation means apprentices find the time to throw themselves into the “brilliant” social life at Lewis Silkin. “I think Lewis Silkin is the most sociable firm in London!” one source gushed, while another told us the social aspect of their apprenticeship has been “awesome”. We heard that “there are trainee socials every couple of months, plus plenty of firm-wide events like watching The Hundred cricket matches and the annual retreat for the employment and immigration teams, an overnight stay where we do team-building activities and get to meet people from other offices. What’s particularly great is that apprentices get included in both paralegal and trainee socials, so we’re not left out. There’s a genuine sense of community rather than everyone doing their own thing — everyone from different levels of seniority socialises together.” This social whirl has been instrumental in building these recruits’ professional network. One source told us, “It helps build bonds between employees, increasing work ethic amongst the team as everyone tends to get along with each other.” And it’s not just overnight trips and summer parties, our insiders revealed that even on ordinary days in the office “colleagues make a real effort to get to know each other and take an interest in each others lives.”
Do you see a Lewis Silkin apprenticeship in your future? If so, you’re in luck! We pumped our sources for all their insider tips on the application process. “Commercial awareness is key — being able to discuss current affairs and how it affects businesses and law firms will seriously impress interviewers,” one apprentice revealed. “Quality over Quantity!” were the wise words of another. “It is important to really know the firm you are applying to. Do your research on their ethics and values as well as their services to make sure it is the correct firm for you because you will be spending 6 years of your working life with them… minimum. It is better to have 5 amazing applications than 20 half-hearted ones,” she added. And finally, one apprentice offered this old chestnut: “Be yourself. An old cliché, but it is important that you remain true to yourself throughout the process and demonstrate your skills and qualities.”