Lewis Silkin

A day in the life of... Tom Glenn, Solicitor Apprentice

Departments to date: Immigration; Employment

University: BPP Law School

Degree: Law

A day in the life as an Apprentice is never the same. To start with, you have the diversity of activities in your week from the combination of work and studying. You also have the broad variety of tasks you can immerse yourselves in. From my two seats I have gained experience in tasks and industries that are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. In Immigration I was able to support Premier League clubs with their Immigration practices, whereas in Employment, I get drafted in to support various clients in the Professional Services industry. Not to mention the Responsible Business and Pro Bono opportunities to supplement your work. To be given such amazing opportunities, in an environment that values your wellbeing and work-life balance makes each day enjoyable, no matter how it looks in your calendar. Nonetheless, the timetable below gives an insight into what a day in life of a Solicitor Apprentice at Lewis Silkin looks like:

5.45am: I set off for the office. I commute three days a week and it normally takes me 90 minutes to get to work. I like to arrive nice and early, settle in, grab some breakfast and a coffee before sitting down at my desk.

8.30am: I review my emails and start to set up my list of tasks for the day, prioritising carefully the things that need to be actioned most urgently. I look at my calendar and consider how best to structure my day. I tend to keep a list written on my laptop which I can tick off as I go.

9.30am: By this point I have checked in with my supervisor and colleagues on what I need to get done for the day, and then I’m working through my tasks. I make good progress with the document review for the case I am working on.

10.45am: I take a quick break to get away from my screen and grab another coffee to refuel before lunch.

11:00am: Settling down promptly, I delve back into the document review and make some further progress as the decision of what to have for lunch begins to cross my mind.

12.30pm: I nip downstairs for a walk in the fresh air, picking myself up a wrap before returning to the office to eat with some of the other apprentices at the firm.

13.30pm: I use this time after lunch to complete some administrative tasks for my role in the Social Mobility Group. The DE&I initiatives at the firm provide the exciting opportunity to make a material difference to those around you, and it is great to be involved in the work that gets done in this area.

14.00pm: I join a meeting to discuss the list of actions for the case I am working on with my colleagues. I make a list of the action points that relate to me and when they need to be completed. I then factor these into my to-do list which is starting to get shorter than it was at the start of the day!

14.30pm: I attend a capacity meeting with the Paralegals and Trainees from my team to discuss our capacity and ensure everyone has a good spread of work. It’s always good to hear about different types of work going on around the team and potentially see some opportunities for different types of work to get involved in.

14.45pm: I take a bit of time to get a snack to give me some energy for the remainder of the afternoon, before sitting back down to make some progress with a internal project I am working on relating to the way we present our services.

16.00pm: I spend some time making a bit more progress with the document review. I like to spread this type of task out so that I can remain focussed throughout the whole process.

17.00pm: I review my list of actions and record my time entries for the day. I complete some coursework for my studies before I get ready to set off.

18.00pm: I leave the office to head home, but not before I stop off for a drink and a bit of dinner with one of my friends from the team.

About the firm

Managing partner: Jo Farmer and Richard Miskella

Other offices: Cardiff, Oxford, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Leeds and Hong Kong.

Who we are: We are a leading Legal 500-ranked law firm that works with you to help you protect and enhance what really matters to you – your ideas, your people, your future – we call it: Ideas. People. Possibilities.

Your Ideas: Your ideas, and the people who generate them, are at the heart of your business, helping differentiate you in the market and giving you a competitive edge. We help bring your ideas and your business to life.

Your People: We are passionate about people – yours and ours. We can help you navigate all your strategic and operational HR and legal issues across the world of work, both nationally and internationally.

Your Possibilities: Ideas are developed by people; people are inspired by ideas; and together they create endless possibilities for future success. In a world where the only constant is change, we work side by side with you to help overcome challenges and seize opportunities to help grow and evolve your business.

What we do: We are passionate about people. Whether you are a fast growth start-up or a large multinational business, we help you realise the potential in your people and navigate your strategic HR and legal issues, both nationally and internationally. Our award-winning employment team is one of the largest in the UK, with dedicated specialists in all areas of employment law and a track record of leading precedent-setting cases on issues of the day. The team’s breadth of expertise is unrivalled and includes HR consultants as well as experts across specialisms including employment, immigration, data, tax and reward, health and safety, reputation management, dispute resolution, corporate and workplace environment.

Creativity, technology and innovation are at the heart of everything we do. It is reflected in the way we work, as well as in the types of businesses we work with. We help bring your ideas to life by working alongside you as a trusted partner and bringing together leading commercial, corporate, data and privacy, dispute resolution, employment, immigration, intellectual property and real estate lawyers to help create, optimise, manage and protect your ideas and your business.

What we’re looking for: Those who share our sense of purpose to help others and show kindness, and have a genuine interest in commercial law and our firm. We’re also looking for committed and passionate people who are excellent team players with good communication skills, strong organisation and time management abilities and creative thinking.

What you’ll do: Our solicitor apprenticeship programme offers you:

Experience – exposure to a variety of areas of law through rotating through different legal practice groups (seats), sitting alongside experts in their field.

Support – dedicated support throughout the programme, including a seat supervisor who will support your development through each seat, two buddies (current apprentice and paralegal) who will be able to answer any queries you have and a committed apprentice supervising partner who will be a go-to person for support throughout your programme.

Culture – our small intake allows us to action our ethos – to support and do the best for our employees as individuals. It also means you receive responsibility from the word ‘go’, being exposed to fast-paced challenging work within a supportive and friendly environment.

Perks: Bonus scheme for trainees; firmwide bonus scheme – shared success award; life assurance of 4 x salary; group income protection; employee assistance programme; private healthcare cover with BUPA; group personal pension scheme, matched contribution up to 5% of basic salary; wellness subsidy; subsidised conveyancing costs; interest-free season ticket loan (after three months’ service); workplace nursery provision scheme via salary sacrifice; cycle to work scheme via salary sacrifice; recruitment bounty; free eye tests.

Seat options

Corporate; data and privacy; digital; commerce and creative (commercial); dispute resolution; employment; immigration; intellectual property; real estate.

Diversity and Inclusion