Solicitor

Reference Number: ST0246

Details of standard

For information about this standard please see https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/higher-level-apprenticeships. 

To check on live roles please use this link https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch. 

1. Occupation

Solicitor

2. Occupational profile:

This role has responsibility for providing legal advice to clients through:

• acting ethically, with professionalism and judgement;
• progressing legal matters and transactions;
• applying legal knowledge and commercial judgement to produce solutions which meet clients' needs and address their commercial or personal circumstances;
• deploying the full range of legal skills - research, interviewing and advising, advocacy,
• negotiation, drafting, communicating orally and in writing;
• establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with clients and other people; and
• managing themselves and their own work effectively.

3. Requirements

In order to successfully meet the Apprenticeship standard leading to qualification as a solicitor, apprentices must demonstrate that they can:

Ethics, professionalism and judgement

1. Act honestly and with integrity, in accordance with the law and
   with regulatory requirements and the Solicitors Regulation
   Authority (SRA)Handbook and Code of Conduct
2. Maintain the level of competence and legal knowledge needed
   to practise effectively, taking into account changes in their role and/or practice context and developments in the law
3. Work within the limits of their competence and the supervision
   which they need
4. Draw on a sufficient detailed knowledge and understanding of
   their field(s)of work in order to practise effectively
5. Apply understanding, critical thinking and analysis to solve
   problems

Technical legal practice

1. Obtain relevant facts
2. Undertake legal research
3. Develop and advise on relevant options, strategies and
   solutions
4. Draft documents which are legally effective and accurately
   reflect the client's instructions
5. Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy
6. Negotiate solutions to clients' issues
7. Plan, manage and progress legal matters and transactions

Working with other people

1. Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing
2. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with
   clients
3. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with
   other people
   

Managing themselves and their own work

4. Initiate, plan, prioritise and manage work activities to ensure
   that they are completed efficiently, on time and to an appropriate standard, both in relation to their own work and work that they lead or supervise
5. Keep, use and maintain accurate, complete and clear records
6. Apply good business practice

Duration

5-6 years

This may be reduced if exemptions from training are applicable.

Entry requirements

Individual employers will identify any relevant entry requirements in terms of previous qualifications or other criteria.

Our recommended minimum entry requirements are:

• 5 GCSEs, including mathematics & English - grade C or above (or equivalent);
• 3 A Levels (or equivalent) - minimum grade C. And / or:
• Relevant employer- led work experience;
• Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in a relevant occupation - Business Administration, Legal Services, Providing Financial Services;
• Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in a relevant occupation - Legal Services, Professional

Services, and Providing Financial Services (may be entitled to exemptions from training);

• Paralegal Apprenticeship (may be entitled to exemptions from training);
• Legal Executive Apprenticeship (may be entitled to exemptions from training);
• Law Degree/ Graduate Diploma in Law / Legal Practice Course (entitled to exemptions from training).

Link to professional registration and progression

The standard is based on the SRA's Statement of Solicitor Competence  . Achievement of the standard and the associated apprenticeship assessment plan will satisfy the SRA's regulatory framework for qualification as a solicitor, subject to the SRA's usual tests of character and suitability.

Review date

This standard will be reviewed in three years.

Regulated standard

This is a regulated occupation.

Regulator body:

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

Training provider must be approved by regulator body

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