Casualty Solicitor Apprenticeship

Overview

The solicitor apprenticeship is a six-year programme open to students as an alternative route to qualify as solicitors. During that time, you’ll be part of the day-to-day operations in our Casualty department. We’ll partner you up with a buddy who will support you during your time with us and introduce you to an incredible network of people. This opportunity comes with a starting salary of £23,300 with yearly increases.

By the end of the programme, you'll be a fully qualified lawyer, having gained an LLB (Hons) from University of Law and will have completed the SQE 1, 2, & Plus.

Applications are open from 7^th September until 11^th February 2027.

Apply here

Programme structure

From day one

You’ll be paired up with a buddy in your team who can share their experiences balancing work and life at Clyde. As you'll settle in, you'll quickly become immersed in life at the firm and start building connections across departments.

Witness excellence

You'll work alongside and be supervised by experienced professionals throughout the programme, learning from some of the firm's leading practitioners. You'll gain insight into how they approach client work, case preparation, research, and the practical application of the law, helping you develop your own skills and confidence over time.

Courtroom insight

As part of the programme, you may attend court hearings, arbitrations or mediations. This will give you the opportunity to see legal proceedings first-hand and experience the wide range of disputes and litigation matters we handle.

Networking for the future

Throughout the six-year programme, you'll build relationships with colleagues across the firm, from fellow apprentices to senior lawyers and business services professionals. These connections will support your development, broaden your understanding of the legal profession, and help you make the most of your career with us.

As part of the solicitor apprenticeship programme, you will study online, attending live webinars and skills sessions. You will spend one day a week studying and work four days a week. You will have a dedicated skills coach who will work with you and your supervisor to help you develop the essential skills you'll need to succeed as an apprentice. Your progress at university will be assessed via exams, coursework, and oral presentation. In the last two years of your apprenticeship, you will also sit the Solicitors Qualification Examinations (SQE).

Years 1-2: Building your foundations

Support fee earners with legal and administrative tasks, including document review, disclosure, legal research and bundle preparation.
Develop drafting skills using firm precedents and assist with client matters.
Gain exposure to a wide range of work through shadowing opportunities and supervised legal tasks.
Learn the skills to manage an individual caseload, with increasing autonomy as competence and experience grow.
Build your understanding of legal processes, systems and client service while receiving regular support from your supervisor, line manager and the Early Careers team.

Years 3-4: Developing as a legal professional

Work at paralegal level, managing your own workload and taking greater responsibility for client matters.
Assist with file handling, matter management and increasingly complex legal work.
Apply your academic learning to real client matters and develop your commercial awareness.
Begin handling work comparable to that undertaken by trainee solicitors, with appropriate supervision and support.

Years 5-6: Preparing for qualification

Work at trainee solicitor level, managing your own caseload and taking responsibility for more complex legal matters.
Complete the SQE while developing the skills and experience expected of a newly qualified solicitor.
Build strong client relationships and develop your technical, commercial and professional skills as you prepare for qualification.

Typical responsibilities throughout the programme

Conducting legal research and analysing legal issues
Drafting legal documents, correspondence, witness statements, pleadings and transactional documents
Supporting transactions, litigation and other client matters
Communicating with clients and attending client meetings
Attending hearings, trials and other legal proceedings
Filing and serving court documents
Reviewing and critically analysing documents
Preparing hearing or trial bundles
Assisting lawyers and case handlers with active matters
Managing your workload while balancing work and study commitments
Developing your legal knowledge through formal training, on-the-job learning and professional development opportunities

Your learning modules

Common Law Method and Ethics / Public Law / Law of Contract

Law of Tort / Criminal Law / Critical Approaches in Current Legal Issues

Land Law / Real Estate / Business Law 1

Equity and Trusts / Access to Justice and Legal Services / Criminal Litigation and Evidence / Civil Dispute Resolution

Business Law 2 / Wills and Succession / Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) 2 / Skills Portfolio and FLK 2

SQE1 Preparation - FLK 1, SQE 1 Bootcamp and Examination / SQE2 Preparation and Examination / LLM Key Practice Areas

Our process

Our strengths-based recruitment process is based on fairness and equity. It’s designed to help us identify what motivates you to work at a city law firm, over your learnt experiences, and helps you show us the most authentic version of yourself. Here’s how it works:

Applications open

For all programmes, you’ll need to make your application online via our online application system. At this stage you’ll just need to complete your basic personal information. No lengthy written tasks for you to complete here.

Online assessment

If you meet our eligiblity criteria, you will be invited to complete an online assessment. This includes a critical reasoning test, as well as our Clyde & Co strengths-based assessment, which contains a mix of question types including written and order ranking. It is designed to present you with some of the challenges you can expect to face at Clyde & Co.

Video interview

If you perform well in our initial online assessment, you will then be invited to complete a pre-recorded video interview. This means that you will be asked questions and will need to record your spoken response via video interview on our assessment platform. Some of these questions will be situational, but others will focus on your motivations for the role and Clyde & Co.

In-Person Assessment centre

Our in-person assessment centre is the final stage of the process. You will complete tasks that help us to assess candidates based on the strengths that will deliver success in a role, including a strengths-based interview. You also get to meet the Manchester Casualty teams and to hear more about the programme. We run a candidate workshop ahead of the final stage, so you will feel fully prepared.

Offer

Our favourite part – the offer. We’ll notify you by phone if you’re successful, if you’re not, we’ll offer you some feedback for development. Don't worry, you will hear from us either way!

About you

For the solicitor apprenticeship programme we are looking for candidates who:

Have achieved, or on track to receive AAB at A-Level
7 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including Maths and English

If you have completed, or will have completed, your first year of an undergraduate qualification by September 2027 you are not eligible to apply. Please review our other opportunities.

Useful resources

Please find resources to help you navigate your application. See below to register to our Insight Days.

UK Candidate Hub

Everything you need before you apply. Check which programmes you're eligible for, gain insight into the work we do through a virtual work simulation, and access helpful resources to prepare your application.

FAQs

FAQs for our UK based early careers programmes.

Montreal 10.Pair Louis & Stephanie 008 (Large)

Early Careers Learning Hub

Whether you're preparing an application, developing your professional skills or exploring career opportunities, our Learning Hub offers resources, guidance and insights to support your journey.

Insight Days

Please find more information on all our announced Insight Days here.

Learn more