Legal Apprenticeship Bristol 2026

Take the next step in your legal career

Our five-year Legal Apprenticeship offers a unique opportunity for you to qualify as a lawyer. The programme provides a structured pathway, allowing you to build your legal knowledge and skills over time, with early exposure to real-world client work. You'll have the freedom to flex your route to qualification, giving you the ability to learn in a way that suits you.

Successful candidates will undertake a two-year Paralegal Apprenticeship based in our Managed Legal Services team in our Bristol office. Following this, they will decide which legal qualification route they'd like to follow in year 3 – either the SQE or the CILEX pathway.

The programme provides a structured pathway, allowing you to build your legal knowledge and skills over time, with early exposure to real-world client work. You’ll have the freedom to flex your route to qualification, giving you the ability to learn in a way that suits you.

Before you start

You’ll take part in a comprehensive induction and skills masterclass, so you’ll feel fully prepared as you embark on your career. Plus, you’ll meet and get to know the Early Careers team, your supervisor and buddy!

Years 1-2

Undertake a two-year Paralegal Apprenticeship based in our Managed Legal Services team in either our Bristol or Taunton offices.

• Gain a Paralegal Apprenticeship – over the two-year period you’ll gain practical experience and undertake your Paralegal Apprenticeship.
• Work with our Managed Legal Services team – this team play a pivotal role in driving quality, efficiency, and collaboration across our legal teams. It’s a fast-paced team where you will gain essential business and professional skills that will support your legal career.
• Choose your qualification route – after successfully completing your Paralegal Apprenticeship, you’ll be supported by our Early Careers team as you choose the qualification route you want to take in your third year (either via the SQE or CILEX pathway).

Year 3

Study towards your SQE or CILEX qualification and work as a paralegal in a different area of the business to give you exposure to other areas of the law.

• The SQE and CILEX are qualifications that help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to be a successful lawyer.
• Completion of these qualifications is the final stage on your path to becoming a lawyer.
• Whilst undertaking your qualification you’ll work in one of our legal teams – this will help broaden your experience, knowledge, and application of different types of law.

Years 4-5

Pending which qualification route you choose, you may proceed to undertake our Training Contract to qualify as a Solicitor or remain working in one of our legal teams to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer.

Throughout

You’ll receive continuous support from our Early Careers team, a dedicated mentor, supervisor and buddy ensuring that you’re guided every step of the way.

Applications open on Monday 15 September 2025 and close on Monday 16 February 2026. If successful, you will be invited to complete your online assessment after this date and will need to do so by Monday 2 March 2026.