Solicitor Apprenticeship

Dentons is offering a six-year Solicitor Apprenticeship for candidates who want to qualify as solicitors while earning a salary and gaining practical legal experience.

The programme combines paid employment with academic study. Apprentices work at Dentons four days a week and spend one day each week studying with BPP University towards an LLB Law degree. There are no university tuition fees for the degree.

The programme provides an alternative route into the legal profession for candidates who want to begin working in a law firm immediately after school or college rather than following the traditional university route.

The Six-Year Programme

The apprenticeship lasts six years and is designed to provide broad commercial legal experience before qualification.

Apprentices complete eight seats across a range of practice areas. The first four years consist of year-long seats, followed by four six-month seats during the final two years.

Apprentices work on real client matters from the outset and gradually take on greater responsibility as their knowledge and experience develop. Each seat includes dedicated supervision and mentoring from experienced lawyers.

Study and Work

Apprentices spend four days each week working at Dentons and one day studying with BPP University.

The academic element includes workshops, seminars and online learning. Apprentices are supported by a personal tutor, supervisors within each practice area and Dentons' Early Careers team.

The combination of academic study and practical legal work allows apprentices to apply what they learn in their studies directly to real legal matters.

Commercial Legal Experience

Dentons' Solicitor Apprentices work across the firm's key practice areas, gaining exposure to a broad range of commercial law.

The firm's principal divisions include Commercial, Corporate, Real Estate, Banking and Dispute Resolution.

Commercial work can include technology, media and telecommunications, employment and projects. Corporate work includes mergers and acquisitions, investments, restructuring, governance, competition, regulation and tax.

Real Estate covers acquisitions, developments, leasing, planning, construction and investment. Banking includes Capital Markets, Restructuring and Banking work, while Dispute Resolution includes litigation, regulatory matters, investigations and risk management.

Client and International Secondments

Apprentices are based in their London or Milton Keynes office during the earlier years of the programme.

In the later years, apprentices can apply for client or international secondments, subject to business needs and the opportunities available at the time. The majority of secondments last six months.

Salary

The starting salary is £31,000 in London and £28,500 in Milton Keynes.

The salary increases annually throughout the apprenticeship. Solicitor apprentices also receive a £1,500 starting work bonus.

Eligibility

Applicants must have:

A minimum of seven GCSEs at grade B or grade 6 or above, including English and Mathematics.
A minimum of ABB at A Level or equivalent, achieved or predicted.
The unrestricted right to work in the UK.
At least three years' residence in the UK to meet the apprenticeship eligibility requirements.
Recruitment Process

Dentons' recruitment process consists of four stages:

Application form: Candidates provide information about their education, work history and activities.

Online assessment: Candidates who meet the initial criteria complete Dentons' Legal High Potential Assessment. The assessment includes scenario-based, numerical and verbal questions and does not require prior legal knowledge or experience.

Interview: Successful candidates progress to an interview.

Assessment centre: Candidates who reach the final stage attend an assessment centre. Dentons also invites candidates to an insight day at the relevant office on the day before the assessment centre. The insight day is designed to help candidates understand the firm and assessment process and is not itself part of the assessment.

Application Deadline

Applications for the Solicitor Apprenticeship open on 29 October 2026 and close on 18 December 2026.

Dentons reviews applications after the deadline rather than on a rolling basis, so applications submitted before the closing date will be considered alongside the other applications received during the recruitment cycle.

Why Choose the Dentons Solicitor Apprenticeship?

Dentons launched its Solicitor Apprenticeship in 2017 and has since welcomed apprentices across multiple cohorts, with several cohorts already qualifying as solicitors through the programme.

The apprenticeship provides a direct route into commercial law without university tuition fees. Apprentices earn a salary, gain experience working on real client matters, study towards an LLB and ultimately qualify as solicitors in England and Wales.

On successful completion of the programme, apprentices are encouraged to apply for Associate roles across Dentons, providing an opportunity to continue their careers with the firm after qualification.

Benefits

Dentons provides solicitor apprentices with a range of benefits, including:

Gym membership allowance.
Life assurance.
Health and dental insurance.
24 days' annual leave.
Pension scheme.
Cycle-to-work scheme.
Access to wellbeing resources.
Restaurant discounts.

Application deadline: 18 December 2026