Watch: a solicitor apprentice sets the record straight

Did you know that in April 2023 97% of solicitor apprentices passed their SQE2 exams?

Despite being launched in 2016, there’s still a huge amount of misinformation around solicitor apprenticeships. In this video, A&O Shearman apprentice Aqsa sets the record straight with her own first-hand experiences.

“I’m not just printing and photocopying all day,” she says. “It’s not a backup.”

“No one makes you feel like your any less than a trainee because you haven’t gone to university,” she adds.

Solicitor apprenticeships allow candidates to qualify as a solicitor without studying at university full-time. These six-year programmes provide apprentices with paid, on the job training and upon completion they gain a level 7 qualification – equivalent to a master’s degree.