Farrer & Co last week announced the arrival of its first solicitor apprentices, Megan McCaffrey and Keeley Barnes, who embarked on the six-year programme in September.
Their arrival marks the expansion of the firm’s Apprenticeship Scheme, which launched in 2017 for business services teams, to now provide an accessible alternative route to qualifying as a solicitor without the need for a university degree. Applications for the scheme were therefore open to candidates including school leavers, and later career professionals seeking to break into the legal sector. Megan and Keeley both join Farrer & Co as school leavers.
As part of the programme, solicitor apprentices rotate through the firm’s essential business services teams during their first two years, mirroring the close collaboration between business and legal services teams within the firm at large, and helping aspiring solicitors develop a commercial mindset. Thereafter, solicitor apprentices will begin a four-year rotation of the legal teams, while also studying for their solicitor qualifications.
The academic programme for the solicitor apprenticeship has been developed by The University of Law (ULaw) to prepare apprentices for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), the qualification gateway for solicitors.
Farrer & Co assigns solicitor apprentices Partner mentors at each stage of the programme who conduct regular check-ins and provide additional support.
Keeley Barnes said: “It’s been a fantastic experience so far. The firm has been very welcoming, and I’ve really appreciated how friendly and supportive everyone has been. Being assigned a Partner mentor, as well as a buddy and a supervisor, all in business services is fantastic, because it means I have a friendly face to turn to at all levels, and I have really felt that no question is too big or too small. It’s also great to know that by the time I’ve qualified, I’ll have worked with people right across the firm and will have those friendly connections and relationships already.”
Megan McCaffrey said: “I was thrilled to find out I could qualify as a solicitor through the Farrer & Co Solicitor Apprenticeship Scheme. I loved doing law at A-level, but I felt that pursuing this at university would only give me the opportunity to study, whereas an apprenticeship also allows me to develop as a professional whilst studying for my qualification. I’m really excited about the variety of learning opportunities available at Farrer & Co, where we’re able not only to gain experience on the business services teams, but also to sit in six seats during our time spent in the legal teams, instead of the usual four that other firms typically offer, so it feels like we’ll always be learning something fresh and new throughout the programme.”
Katherine Wilde, Director of Knowledge, Learning and Development at Farrer & Co, said: “We are delighted to welcome Megan and Keeley to the firm as they begin the Solicitor Apprenticeship programme. By starting our apprentices in business services and assigning business services Partner mentors, our aim is to ensure they qualify as solicitors with a well-rounded understanding of the business of law, as well as highlighting that the partnership track is open to fee earners and business services professionals alike.”
Applications for the Farrer & Co 2023 solicitor apprenticeship scheme open in November 2022.
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