Osborne Clarke apprentice Maryam Tariq had to convince her mum that the legal apprenticeship was the optimum route into law
‘You always have a choice’ – Harvey Specter, Suits S4, E4
Although my choice in career was not born from the blockbuster Suits, it definitely played a huge role in influencing my perspective of lawyers and glorifying the profession. I fantasised about walking through the glass doors of an elite high street firm one day, with an objective to provide a voice to the voiceless. To eradicate the injustices and reinstall the egalitarianism in our society – as you will hear every lawyer rave about.
As I grew to be old and wise at 17, embarking the final year of my A levels, my vision soon reconstructed and I realised my dream was still a long way away.
I had always wanted to qualify the ‘traditional’ way: three years of an undergraduate LLB, one year of a LPC (now SQE) and a two year training contract.
Despite my desires to study at university, I dreaded the thought of not securing a training contract. I dreaded the thought of sitting through lectures for hours. I dreaded the thought of potentially having to make a comeback to my part time Argos job to fund my ‘student life’.
At some point in that same year, quite late on, I decided a solicitor apprenticeship was what I wanted to do. It was the way forwards for me.
‘Time is free but it’s priceless’ – Harvey Specter, Suits, S7, E5
Due to the delay in gaining knowledge about the apprenticeship route, many firms had closed their applications. Consequently I only applied to one firm, placing all of my eggs into one basket and the exact thing I had been taught not to do for 18 years.
I had submitted my UCAS application, but by this point, I had talked myself out of the university route. I was going all-in for the apprenticeship.
No one had ever shouted and screamed about this amazing opportunity, I took it upon myself and began to sing the praises of a solicitor apprenticeship to my parents, family and friends.
Having only really started in 2016, solicitor apprenticeships are fairly progressive to the outside world and not always received positively. I can confirm my mother thought I had gone off the rails and would never complete my studies or fulfil my lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. Particularly after I had not been successful and decided to take a gap year, deferring my university place to give it another shot!
Thankfully, after all my lobbying, she very quickly became fond of the idea and showed immense support. I had convinced her, and who wouldn’t fall in love with the idea of working in a corporate law firm? Gaining work experience whilst completing your degree with no student debt and a salary which inflates as the years go by?
Throughout the six years, I would be increasing my social mobility by exposing myself to new connections across the profession whilst gaining first-hand experience of working alongside some of the best lawyers in the industry and growing my wings under their wing. What more could I ask for?
‘I wanna win big’ – Harvey Specter S2, E5
Osborne Clarke had always been at the top of my wish list.
A Bristol based firm. An immensely inclusive culture. Leaders in upcoming innovative ideas. Heavily invested into the future of the firm.
I was fortunate enough to be offered a solicitor apprenticeship with the firm to which I was speechless to the extent the recruitment manager didn’t know whether I was still on the line.
I am currently four months into my apprenticeship and sit within the property disputes team. The knowledge I have attained in such a short period of time is quite unbelievable.
From a sixth form kid aspiring to set foot in a firm six to seven years down the line to, still a kid, living her Harvey Specter dream in the space of two years.
‘If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room’ – Harvey Specter S5, E7
It does come with difficulties, as does anything, but every day is a learning curve – although I often end up repeating the same mistake a day later.
It is not realistic for a young person to jump from school to a law firm and be expected to know the law. Law firms are very scary places before you are working in one, then they just become mildly scary places.
But they are inevitably full of ‘normal people’ who are willing to invest their time into you and foster you. The firm has provided a secure support system for my transition into the big wide world of law.
It’s important to remind ourselves why huge corporate firms invest into apprentices. Apprentices, along with other juniors, are the future. The gold mine of youthful innovation is viewed as a solution to many outdated systems in the workplace as well as the fix to future problems anticipated.
As much as the legal apprenticeship has changed and shaped our lives, we promise to shape the future of the firm. We will not allow the invested money and time into our talent to go in vain.
Don’t let the fear of walking into the ‘unknown’ prevent you from taking this avenue.
Free yourself from the rigid conduct of tradition and open yourself to the new forms of probability.
‘I know I am on the right path, because things stopped being easy’ – Harvey Specter S6, E3
Maryam Tariq is an apprentice at Osborne Clarke
This article was first published by journalist Katy Dowell at The Lawyer on 7th February 2023.
