Skills

Communication Research Training Recruitment

Job Specifications

We’re a national law firm with a local reach, here for life’s important moments – the ones you plan for and the ones you don’t expect. Our legal experts combine technical excellence with empathy, understanding, and a commitment to always put our clients first.

You’ll feel part of a welcoming, inclusive environment where your individuality matters. We celebrate what makes you unique and support you to thrive. Together, we achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

Working as a Solicitor Apprentice in the Reading team, you will provide day to day support and assistance to the other team members in relation to the clients and caseloads. The role is wide-ranging and you will work with all the members of the team.

You will need to:

attend the office in person.
be prepared to travel to other offices within the firm and attend meetings off site with colleagues.
confidently process client work allocated to you by your supervisor and other team members.
help manage cases on a day-to-day basis.
record your time accurately.
take part in team reviews, meetings and away days.
work efficiently on matters to assist the team to hit its monthly billing targets.
undertake legal research through internal, online and AI resources.
engage with clients and third parties by written correspondence, telephone/video calls, and in person meetings; and
draft standard documents and correspondence.

You will be able to work quickly and accurately whilst also always giving excellent client care. Given the nature of the role, it is essential that you are an exceptional and confident communicator as you will work as part of this highly respected team to assist clients and the firm’s trust corporation to the highest standard.

The Irwin Mitchell Solicitor Apprenticeship is a six year programme. You will gain an LLB (Hons) in Legal Practice from BPP and at the end of the programme you will qualify as a solicitor after achieving the Solicitors Qualifying Exam 1 and 2 qualifications along with 2 years’ qualifying work experience.

All of your tuition fees will be paid and best of all, you will earn a salary whilst you are training and gaining your qualification.

The apprenticeship will combine practical work-based learning with formal study. You’ll gain valuable, real-life experience in the UK’s largest full service law firm, enhancing your legal and commercial understanding and growing your confidence in a work environment. It’s the ideal opportunity to benefit from an exciting new world of work and study while avoiding the costs usually associated with undertaking a degree.

As you progress through your apprenticeship, you will build a portfolio of the experience you have gained and the tasks you have completed in the workplace. You will spend the majority of time in your own department with the possibility of also working elsewhere for some of the programme to gain exposure to other parts of Irwin Mitchell. The programme will be tailored to your individual needs and goals for qualification, and your responsibility will increase as appropriate throughout your training.

Throughout the six years you will be working for four days per week and spend one day studying with BPP.

At Irwin Mitchell, we need individuals who can adapt and be resilient to this programme as well as the constant changes across the legal, social and political spheres. We need creative thinkers who can revolutionise the way we work and help Irwin Mitchell meet its future business needs. As well as strong academics and a genuine passion for law, we are looking for someone who embodies our values and wants to make a positive difference to both society and their future careers. You will need excellent communication skills, a good eye for detail and the ability to follow instructions and to enjoy working as part of a team. Due to the nature of interactions and cases you will be working on, you will also need to display empathy and compassion to help guide our clients through challenging personal circumstances.

Strong academic results are required, we are looking for 5 GCSEs at grade 9 – 4 (or equivalent, including maths and English) and 3 A-Levels at grade B or above or equivalent.

This apprenticeship is part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and giving opportunities to a diverse range of candidates. As such, our solicitor apprenticeship is not open to people with degrees. If you do have a degree and are interested in becoming a solicitor, see our Graduate Recruitment site for more opportunities.

Stage 1 - Short Form & Online Assessment

The first stage of the recruitment process involves a short online form where you’ll provide your basic personal information.

We’ll then invite you to complete a strengths-based assessment which includes video interview questions. This will take approximately two hours. You will receive 7 days to complete the assessment from the date and time you submit your online form.

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About the Company

Who We Are We’re legal and financial advisors with a difference, based in 26 UK locations and with an international presence as members of First Law International. Giving the best possible advice is about more than knowledge and expertise. It means understanding the people and businesses you work with as deeply as possible. It means taking the time to listen to what matters most to you. It’s what we call ‘the expert hand with human touch’. We’re a full-service law firm, which means whatever advice you need, we can help. Pe... Know more