Groundbreaking new apprenticeship scheme for solicitors

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Today with David McCullagh 10 min 1 speaker 8 chapters transcribed 3 hours ago

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What new solicitor apprenticeship programme is being launched for school leavers?

David McCullagh 0:00

From September 2027, school leavers will be able to train to become a solicitor without a third level degree. The Law Society of Ireland is today introducing a new solicitor apprenticeship programme, marking one of the most significant changes to solicitor training here for many decades. To give us more details on the initiative, I'm joined by the head of the Law Society of Ireland's professional practice course, Rory O'Boyle. Rory, good morning to you. Thanks for coming in. David, thanks so much for having me. Just to explain what it's like at the moment, most people who train to be solicitors already have a degree behind them,

Rory O'Boyle 0:34

do they? Absolutely, David. So the current system, it's primarily graduate led. So you would see people typically starting college and coming to us maybe about 23, 24. So this is going to be a significant change for us. Yeah.

David McCullagh 0:49

And the people who do that, they don't necessarily have to have done a law degree, do they? There's a conversion course, isn't

Rory O'Boyle 0:55

there? Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So not necessarily a law degree, but definitely generally graduate led.

Who is the apprenticeship designed for and why is it needed?

Rory O'Boyle 1:02

OK, so now things are going to change for at least some people. So now things are going to change, at least for some people. So it's really an apprenticeship programme for school leavers. It's an apprenticeship programme, so as you can expect, they're going to be in the office working, earning, employed from day one, but they'll also be studying with the Law Society as they progress towards the solicitor qualification. I suppose, who did we have in mind whenever we were devising this programme? I suppose what we were thinking about was... that those people, that for whatever reason, college might not be for them after the leaving certificate, okay? So that might be for personal decision. They might be, listen, I'm really keen.

Rory O'Boyle 1:42

I'm really interested. I want to get into the workplace, but I'm interested in law. I want to be a solicitor. And that's a personal choice. But we're also very much aware of there are people that simply cannot afford to be full-time students, right? And how important that there is a pathway for those students as well into the legal profession. They're bright, intelligent, fantastic. It's so much to offer and how important that we have a way in for them as well.

How does the seven‑year apprenticeship combine work and study?

Rory O'Boyle 2:10

And is it going to be dependent on points in the Leaving Cert? No. So the pathway in, I mean, it's for all types of people that have completed the Leaving Cert. But maybe unlike the points system, while of course there will be minimum standards, we're actually throwing the net even wider in that we are also aware that that there are people that are in the system that for whatever reason, the CAO, the point system, does not work for them, but they're bright, they're intelligent, they have a lot to offer. So we want to open a pathway for them as well. Now, there will be equivalents because ultimately they'll be doing the same study, the same exams as the current trainee solicitors. So there will be equivalents, but it is about offering new pathways.

David McCullagh 3:01

And how is this going to work? How long is it going to take for starters?

Rory O'Boyle 3:05

Yeah. So, I mean, it'll take about approximately seven years. So it's a huge commitment from the students. But it will be progressive as the programme develops. You'll join us in year one. You'll be in the office four days a week. You'll be studying with the Law Society.

What qualifications and exams will apprentices complete during the programme?

Rory O'Boyle 3:21

You'll be bringing all that energy and enthusiasm to the workplace. But we will sort of be with you each step of the way. You're going to be progressing for a certificate, a diploma and ultimately on to the solicitor's entrance exams as well and the solicitor training programme. So, I mean, as you progress, you're going to be gaining qualifications that have real value in the workplace as well. Yeah.

David McCullagh 3:46

So if you enter the apprenticeship programme when you're 18 after you've left school, you'll be qualified at 25, which would be about the same as people go on the other route, the same sort of age, would it?

Rory O'Boyle 3:58

Precisely, they're thereabouts. So it's really, it's about a different route depending on the learner and how wonderful to be able to bring different pathways or different options.