Skip the burdensome loans and uncertainty that often accompany full-time university degrees. If your ambition is to qualify as a solicitor, Dentons provides a straightforward and financially secure alternative: our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme.

As a Dentons apprentice, you will embark on a distinctive and rewarding path. From day one, you will be employed in a paid role, gaining hands-on experience in a leading global law firm. At the same time, you will study towards your LLB university degree, integrating academic learning with practical, real-world legal work. This opportunity will enable you to earn a salary, develop your professional skills, and progress academically, all at once.

Your journey to becoming a solicitor starts here.

• 6 years
• 1 day per week study with BPP university
• No university fees
• 4 days per week work
• LLB Law Degree
• Qualification as an England & Wales solicitor
• Designed for school leavers who have yet to commence an undergraduate degree.

Applications for our 2026 London and Milton Keynes Solicitor Apprenticeships starting in September 2026 will open on 27 October 2025. Applications will close on 21 December 2025.

In the meantime, sign up for Dentons.Next Talent to gain exclusive access to our online skills workshops, webinars, and panel events. These sessions will cover a range of topics, including how to prepare a successful application, insights from our solicitor apprentices, and further information about life at Dentons.

Please review our FAQs before you start your application. To access the application form, please click the ‘Apply‘ button on the top bar.

Find out here how to apply.

THE WORK

As an Apprentice at Dentons, you will gain hands-on experience in the legal profession. You will spend four days a week in the office over the course of six years. During this time, you will rotate through eight different practice areas, enabling you to develop a broad set of skills and identify your particular interests within the legal sector.

Here’s what to expect:

• You’ll spend six months to a year in each practice area, gaining invaluable insights and experience. In each department, you’ll have a dedicated supervisor to guide and mentor you
• From day one, you won’t be a passive observer. You’ll be a key member of your team, contributing to real projects and making an impact. As the years pass, you’ll undertake increasing responsibilities
• Throughout the programme, you’ll build a portfolio of skills. These skills will not only contribute to your degree but will also play a crucial role in qualifying as a solicitor

At the end of the six-year journey, we encourage all of our Apprentices will have the opportunity to apply for an Associate (Qualified Solicitor) with the Firm. This is just the beginning of what we hope will be an exceptional career.

THE STUDY 

You’ll spend one day a week (usually Mondays) studying with BPP University. You’ll take part in workshops and seminars and complete various assessments across the six years, all working towards completing your Law degree.

BPP make studying as accessible as possible, providing a large amount of the course as e-learning.

You can read the full curriculum on the BPP Website.

SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT 

• Each practice area will provide you with a dedicated supervisor to guide your professional growth
• You’ll have access to an HR manager and the Early Careers Team to assist with your career development
• A personal tutor will be there to support your academic progress and well-being

At Dentons, we believe in nurturing talent, and your six-year apprenticeship is the foundation for a successful and rewarding legal career. Your future begins here.

Dentons has welcomed eight cohorts of solicitor apprentices over the years, and we are now recruiting for our ninth cohort who will start with the firm in September 2025.

We are pioneers in this space as one of the first firms to introduce a Solicitor Apprenticeship in 2017, and we have proudly seen two cohorts of Solicitor Apprentices qualify through the route since 2023.

Since the start of our programme, we have welcomed 33 school leavers, and positioned ourselves as one of the leaders in the UK legal market with one of the largest cohorts.

We are proud of our constant development in this space, and have received extensive recognition for our programme by being shortlisted for multiple awards in 2023/2024 including: the Legal 500 ESG Awards, Women Influence & Power in Law Awards, ISE Awards, People in Law awards. We also received Excellence in Human Resource Innovation in the Legal Innovation Awards 2024.

We are a member of City Century, the award-winning solicitor apprenticeship initiative that identifies, recruits, educates, and develops the very best talent, connecting them to the City of London. Within this initiative we have been using our experience to mentor other firms as they embark in their journey to welcome their first cohort of Solicitor Apprentices.

At Dentons, we are committed to ensuring parity across all routes to qualification within the firm. At the end of our Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme, participants are encouraged to apply for Associate roles across a range of our practice areas. This reflects our belief in the equal opportunity of our talent, regardless of their route into the profession and recognising the need to enhance social mobility.

“I chose the apprenticeship route to avoid the debt! On the programme, I have been able to work on trailblazer cases and draft complex legal documents with support from highly experienced lawyers. This route has laid a solid foundation for me to thrive in a (hopefully!) successful legal career.” Ameena Ahmed, Solicitor Apprentice, Year 4. 

• Starting salary: £28,500 (London), £27,000 (Milton Keynes)
• Starting work bonus: £1,500
• Salary increases annually
• Gym membership allowance
• Health insurance
• 24 annual leave days
• Pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to well-being resources
• Restaurant discounts.