Apprenticeships to open more routes into legal careers

Mike Potter, head of the Transaction Services Team at Addleshaw Goddard, said that new opportunities will be created as the sector adapts to changes and that apprenticeships was a good route into law.

Mr Potter told The Yorkshire Post: “Pricing pressures are very much there, in that clients want more for less. What I do see happening is the legal profession changing and that in itself creates opportunities for people.”

He added that with technology advancing it was an exciting time for the legal profession.

Citing himself as an example, Mr Potter said: “My background is that I’m a qualified lawyer, but my role has changed quite dramatically, given some of those market conditions, because I now head a large 100 plus team of people, who are now delivering services in a different way.

“I see roles like mine and lots of others coming into existence and that’s exciting.”

Addleshaw Goddard has opened its second legal apprenticeship scheme through its Transaction Services Team. The previous scheme, which had eight apprentices, has been very successful according to the firm.

Mr Potter said: “It has worked fantastically well for us. It’s something that we are really proud of and really pleased with. We very much forsee doing it in future years as well.”

Mr Potter adds: “A law degree is quite academic, it doesn’t necessarily equip you with the tools to be able to work in a law firm, it just gives you the basis.

“On an apprenticeship, you’re learning on the job from day one.”

Despite apprenticeships offering the advantages of on-the-job learning, Mr Potter doesn’t see the law degree and traditional training contracts becoming obsolete.

“What I do see is alternative ways of somebody getting into a legal career and one of those is by not doing a degree and by doing an apprenticeship,” he added.

Following the success of the 2013 scheme, the apprentices on that scheme are set to become paralegals in April, Addleshaw is looking for 12 apprentices to add to its Transaction Services Team.

The firm said it would hold vocation days before interviewing candidates.