Apprenticeships and the Covid-19 pandemic

Being lucky enough to be offered a training contract in a law firm is getting harder each year. Law graduates will often take a lowly paid or even voluntary role in a law firm, just to try and showcase their skills. Solicitors' firms are generally office based and the pandemic has forced the industry to adapt and show methods of agile working in order to be able to continue providing legal services to clients. Law students will also look to get offered a work experience placement during their early study years, but the pandemic and associated working restrictions mean that many aspiring lawyers will not have be able to gain any invaluable work experience over the last year, or indeed this summer. Whilst the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have introduced a 'super exam' to try and ease the burden placed on a training contract, there really is no substitute for in-house learning and both 2020 and 2021 will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the career choices of many young people. A downturn in the economy will potentially further reduce opportunities for young people in the legal industry. Despite the glamour that is sometimes associated with being a solicitor, it is rarely as exciting as 'Ally McBeal' or 'Suits' and, just as in 2007-08 the industry will find recruitment of good young people moving forwards extremely difficult as a direct consequence of the last 12 months or so.