Mayer Brown & The University of Law Launch Legal Apprenticeship With Direct Solicitor Qualification

Mayer Brown are the first law firm in the City to offer this new ‘Articled Apprenticeship’, which allows students who want to become a solicitor to do so without committing to full-time study and the costs involved. Rather, they’ll be paid a starting salary of £18,000, which will increase as time progresses.

The scheme takes six years to complete and includes a four year part-time LLB followed by a Legal Practice Course (LPC) and the Professional Skills Course (PSC). Work will start to count towards the training contract as “a period of recognised training”. The gifted apprentice will study at The University of Law and will side step tuition fees of £9,000 a year and LPC fees of up to £15,000.

Annette Sheridan, Global Chief HR Officer at Mayer Brown, said: “The Articled Apprenticeship programme is an exciting development which opens up a new route to a successful career as a solicitor.”

John Latham, CEO and President, ULaw, said: “We are delighted that Mayer Brown… is embarking on this partnership with ULaw to provide Articled Apprenticeships for school leavers. This new six-year route to qualification as a solicitor gives employers a ground-breaking way to attract and nurture talent.”