Solicitor Apprentice Review
at Irwin Mitchell
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Legal/Law
Newcastle upon Tyne
Review Submitted: February 2025
Overall Rating
4.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
Involves checking emails daily and responding to them in a timely manner, regular communication with clients, the court, opposing parties and counsel to be able to progress the case. can involve visiting the protected party to gather statements of their wishes and advocating for their best interests. Lots of drafting is completed day to day, whether that be court orders and applications, witness statements and attendance notes, or applying for funding.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I thoroughly enjoy my time while completing my apprenticeship. I find it very interesting, and I love being able to visit clients and advocate for their best interests and improve their quality of life.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Yes - confidence has grown massively since starting my role, I can speak confidently over the phone, attend meetings with counsel alone and visit clients without additional support. My writing style and vocabulary has improved and I use less colloquial language on a day to day basis.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
Very well organised - I have a main supervisor, office team and then national team all of which stay in regular contact. the department have monthly meetings to share advice and stories, as well as weekly team meetings to discuss cases / good news etc and can ask for assistance if needed
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
They are constantly looking to help me with my studies at university as well as checking in on me to make sure I am supported to meet my targets and if I need any further support they are willing to help me go through it / make sure I understand everything
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
My skills coach has 10-12 week check ins with me and we are able to catch up and discuss concerns if any. I also know that I am able to email her to discuss any issues in between our reviews, and the team is very easily contactable, with all necessary details found in the student hand book / student tips
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
Very much - I prefer the hands-on learning and without it I don't think I'd be where I am today. It's important to me that I am able to put my learning into practice, and my role allows me to do that and practice the skills I have learnt
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Yes - they have set up running clubs and sports teams, They also carry out lunch and learn sessions where people are able to have catch ups and network with people they may not have came across otherwise -such as other teams or external providers like charities / fundraisers or other organisations
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Irwin Mitchell to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I do believe it is a great place to work - I feel that the support I receive from my team is incomparable to other roles in the sector, and I do feel that the careers team and my department care about my progression and are supporting me to qualify in my role
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Irwin Mitchell?
Be yourself, don't limit yourself - you will learn the skills you need in the role, you don't have to have them already.
Take your time with the application process - it's a long process and it's important to consider your answers accordingly during interviews / assessment centres and other parts of the application
Take your time with the application process - it's a long process and it's important to consider your answers accordingly during interviews / assessment centres and other parts of the application
