My Graduate Apprenticeship: 8 months in

Brittany Clark, trainee solicitor at Holden Smith

Back in February, we launched our partnership with The University of Law (ULaw) and became one of the first law firms in the UK to introduce a new Graduate Apprenticeship Programme. It’s aimed at improving social mobility in the legal sector and helping candidates from non-traditional legal backgrounds start their careers in law.

The programme is proving very successful, and we were delighted to recently welcome three more team members to train with us under the scheme.

In this blog, we catch up with our Conveyancing Assistant and Trainee Solicitor, Brittany Clarke, who was the first person to join us on the programme back in February, to find out more about her time with us so far and what she thinks of the Graduate Apprenticeship Programme.

First up, what made you think about pursuing a career in law?

Brittany: “Initially, my interest came from crime documentaries – cliché, I know! Criminal law has always intrigued me, however once I started studying Law at A-Level, I realised there were so many other areas to law that were just as interesting as criminal.

How did you feel on your first day at Holden Smith? Did you soon settle in?

Brittany: “On my first day at Holden Smith, I was nervous as I had never worked in an office environment before, but everyone made me feel welcome. I settled in almost instantaneously. The team are so friendly, down-to-earth and welcoming, and really made me feel at home.”

What does a typical day at work might look like for you?

Brittany: “A typical day might be checking if we have any completions that day and setting them up if we do. I spend a lot of time covering my emails to check if anything urgent has arrived that we need to action, then after that my day can be very varied in terms of what I might be dealing with at the different stages of our clients’ transactions. I really enjoy the variety of my job.”

How have your colleagues at Holden Smith supported you with your learning?

Brittany: “My colleagues have been very supportive in my learning since I joined Holden Smith. My colleague Melissa has helped me with multiple training sessions on more complex matters, and my peers have all supported my training me on the day-to-day basics of my role.

“It’s great working in a ‘real life’ environment at Holden Smith, because a lot of the techniques and skills required of a conveyancer are easier to pick up when you’re hands-on, every day. I’ve really enjoyed learning how to engage with clients, both verbally and using written communication, to ensure they receive excellent levels of service. Listening to and shadowing all my colleagues on the phone and around the office allows me to learn about and understand more complex issues.”

What would you say to other law firms considering the Graduate Apprenticeship Programme?

 Brittany: “I think the fact that Holden Smith was one of the first firms in the UK to adopt the graduate apprentice scheme with ULaw sums up the business; an innovative, dynamic and young-but-experienced firm ready to trial and test new processes and opportunities.

“I would certainly encourage other firms to consider adopting the Graduate Apprenticeship Programme. Not every candidate is going to be a success, but not every employee would be a success. What it does is truly give the opportunity of becoming a solicitor to people who may not have otherwise had the chance – and that is a great thing.”