Solicitor Apprenticeship 2025

We are Dentons. The world’s largest law firm. With more than 12,500 people in 80+ countries around the world, we have unique breadth, depth and diversity. Alongside our award-winning global work, we are committed to a culture of innovation, giving back and inclusion. 

Dentons is designed to be different. The landscape we work in is changing at an accelerating pace. We embrace this change and are looking for trainees and apprentices to join us in redefining what is possible and in shaping the future of law. 

Your career at Dentons can shape up to be something extraordinary. It’s a place for those who are driven to challenge. To question. To break tradition. To put your career firmly into fast-forward. This could be the start of something big. 

Main areas of work

Trainees and apprentices can choose from a wealth of seats to work with experts across our practice areas: Banking and Finance, Competition, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Projects, PRM (People, Reward and Mobility), Real Estate, Tax and TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications). 

Work is also about more than just work here. It's about the environment too, and the feeling you get from your team, office and beyond. Our teams are focused on inclusion, giving back, and on looking forward with innovation.

Solicitor Apprenticeship 2025

Skip the burdensome loans and uncertainty that often accompany full-time university degrees. If your dream is to become a solicitor, Dentons offers a clear and financially sound alternative – our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme.

You won’t accumulate eye-watering debt. Our Apprenticeship programme allows you to train for your future career without the financial stress. As a Dentons apprentice, you’ll start working towards your LLB university degree alongside your day job. It’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and earn simultaneously.

The six-year programme aimed at school leavers combines eight seats of work-based learning and part-time study with BPP University.

Dentons is now in the 8th year of running our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme. We were pioneers as one of the first firms to introduce a programme, and to see our first Solicitor Apprentices qualify through the route in 2023. 

We are proud of our constant development in this space, and have received legal sector recognition for our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme by being shortlisted for multiple awards in 2023/2024 including the Legal 500 ESG Awards, Women Influence & Power in Law Awards, ISE Awards, People in Law awards, and were awarded Excellence in Human Resource Innovation for the Legal Innovation Awards 2024. 

Key Facts

• 6 years

• 1 day per week study with BPP university

• No university fees

• 4 days per week work

• LLB Law Degree

• Qualification as an England & Wales solicitor

• Designed for school leavers who have yet to commence an undergraduate degree.

Locations: London and Milton Keynes (September 2025 start)

The deadline to apply is 20 December 2024.

Eligible candidates will need to meet the following criteria:

• A minimum of seven GCSEs grade B/grade 6 or above (including Maths and English)

• You will need to have achieved or be predicted a minimum of ABB at A-Level or equivalent.

For more information please visit https://challengers.dentons.com/uk-apprentices/the-programme/how-it-works/

Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing

At Dentons, inclusion and diversity are not just core values – they are an integral part of our strategy. Building a more inclusive and diverse law firm is core to our strategy because it leads to better business outcomes for our clients, our communities and for Dentons.

We believe in creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We work hard to nurture a sense of inclusion that is empowering to the individual, to the teams and to the Firm.

Examples of our inclusion strategy include a focus on allyship programmes, access initiatives, mentoring programmes, and a series of events and conversation focussed on equity and inclusion.

Our Inclusion Networks also play a huge part in fostering a sense of belonging and support for everyone at the firm. These groups include GLOW (LGBTQ+), Fusion (Asian professionals), Black Professionals Network, Inspire (gender equality), Accessibility (disability, neurodiversity, and long term conditions), and our Parents and Carers network. 

Innovation

Here at Dentons, innovation isn’t something that sits in isolation – we believe it comes from everywhere and from everyone, and it is critical to our position as the world’s largest global law firm. We do this by challenging ourselves to identify and implement innovation across all areas of service delivery to our clients. 

We have created a highly bespoke programme for our trainees, to enhance their knowledge around legal innovation and digital transformation. At every seat rotation, each trainee will undertake an innovation project, and with the help of their designated Innovation Training Scheme supervisor, and Innovation team, will create a project based on one of the following categories: AI (Machine Learning), Document Automation, Design Thinking, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), Data Visualization or a Business Case. These projects, not only help to broaden trainees’ understanding of legal innovation, but also help us to identify and address innovation gaps within the firm.

 

See here for further information on how we help our clients innovate in different ways.