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Moving from the structured environment of college education to the fast-paced and professional legal world can often be daunting as well as exciting. However, doing this with Michelmores has made this process more manageable and less daunting.
In this blog post, I discuss how Michelmores has supported me as a School Leaver Legal Apprentice, and how I have succeeded in my first few months at the Firm.
The induction process
Everyone, no matter their role, receives a fully comprehensive induction. Not only is this where you receive the necessary equipment to complete your role, but it also discusses the Firm’s culture, goals and ambitions. It is also a chance to meet other apprentices for the first time, as well as members of my team and colleagues across the Firm. This instantly made me feel more relaxed and removed some of those initial nerves.
The induction continued throughout my first few weeks, with sessions relating to IT and other areas of the Firm, including what I could get involved in alongside my role. The IT sessions were expertly delivered and allowed me to effectively learn the systems I need to use quickly. This was especially useful as many of the applications I use in my role now I had never used in college, so after the inductions I could get started on my work right away.
Starting in Business Services
School Leaver Apprentices start in a business services team (BST) to begin with. I started in Human Resources, but BST also includes other teams such as Risk, Finance and our Knowledge team. This is a great way to be introduced to the corporate world and Michelmores itself. It allowed me to learn the basic foundational skills/understanding such as how to work in an office, use Outlook, schedule meetings, write contracts, ER paperwork and general corporate skills.
It also allowed me to meet people across the Firm, from different teams in BST as well as lawyers across our three legal departments. This has allowed me to build my internal network quickly and engage with many parts of the Firm. It has allowed me to build my basic legal knowledge alongside my studies before moving into a legal team, making sure I have the foundations that are necessary to succeed for the future.
Support
Every apprentice is given a buddy when they first join the Firm. My buddy is a second-year apprentice at the Firm. We catch up on a regular basis to discuss our work and our studies. Listening to my buddy’s experiences has been extremely valuable as I can use this advice to navigate the change from college to my role far more effectively.
I am also able to speak with my supervisor, who can offer constructive feedback as well as praise. I often reflect on the feedback and find ways to improve, pushing myself to grow and excel from the beginning of my career.
Lastly, the Firm’s culture has allowed me to thrive in the first few months. Since joining, I have felt a sense of belonging and the supportive nature of everyone at the Firm feels unparalleled in the industry. This culture of belonging and inclusivity has allowed me to settle in quickly, despite my limited experience in the legal sector, and to begin producing high-quality work from the outset.
Concluding thoughts
Starting a role as a School Leaver Legal Apprentice can be daunting and the jump from college to working in a legal practice can be huge. However, with a full induction, the available support networks and my first seat being in BST, starting at Michelmores could not have been any easier.