The Legal Cheek View
RPC has two offices in the UK: London and Bristol, as well as strong presences in Singapore and Hong Kong. It also has access to an international network of law firms spanning 117 countries, chaired by one of its partners. Apprentices have the chance to delve into the outfit’s range of practice areas, including professional negligence, commercial/M&A, commercial contracts, banking, defamation, insurance, media and entertainment, and tax. While all recruits are based in the firm’s Bristol office, the work that comes through the doors is of City quality and is both domestic and international in nature. It’s worth noting for hopefuls that RPC hand picks its solicitor apprentice recruits from its pool of paralegal apprentices at the firm.
The apprenticeship route is ideal for someone who prefers to learn on the job while gaining their qualifications, as we’re told by one RPC rookie: “It’s great to study and earn a degree while learning what a solicitor actually does and applying that university knowledge directly in a practical environment.” The insider stresses that the salary and lack of student debt aren’t bad reasons to take the non-traditional route either.
Regarding why RPC, one recruit had their mind made up by two key factors: “The structure of the programme was a big draw for me,” they say. “With the first two years spent completing a paralegal apprenticeship, followed by the opportunity to progress onto the full solicitor qualification, the programme is a good way to test the waters before signing up to be a solicitor. With two years working in a large law firm and gaining a paralegal qualification,” they continue, “you have (at minimum) lots of experience, a qualification, and flexibility and open doors depending on where you want to go next.”
The apprentice also highlights the culture at the firm: “At the assessment day, the firm really stood out for me as everyone was just so friendly, welcoming, and chatty. During that time, we were given tours of the office building and were able to speak to associates and partners, ask any questions we had, and find out more about the firm.” This, we’re told, was a very different experience compared to assessments at other firms for one recruit. “It emphasises how the process is a two-way street. It’s not just important that the firm likes you and thinks you’ll make a good candidate, but also that you like the firm. They should be trying to impress you just as much as you are trying to impress them.”
Apprentices are also inducted into a central team of paralegals who handle the outfit’s global workload from a single inbox. They will then stay in this group for the duration of the six-year programme. “This approach means that you get to do a huge variety of work and see what kind of work you enjoy from across the firm’s field of practice areas,” says one Bristol-based rookie who has even handled matters on behalf of the firm’s Hong Kong office.
Furthermore, being in the paralegal pool is “really useful as lots of people there have already completed their law degrees and have a wealth of practical experience,” they tell us. “People also tend to have more time to discuss work and offer help and advice than associates or partners do.” The structure, we’re told, gives apprentices access to an on-hand support network for both academic and practical issues as and when they need it.
The work at RPC starts with more basic legal and admin tasks, which rookies say give them time to learn the basics such as “how to conduct yourself professionally in the office with a range of different people, how to draft emails properly,” and the use of internal systems. From here, the level of responsibility increases, we’re told, with rookies moving to trainee level case handling by the end of their six-year stint at the firm, albeit with supervision. Throughout this time, “it’s up to you how much you take on depending on how you’re doing at that time,” one apprentice tells us. “There are no billable targets or expectations so you can focus on training and improving rather than just clocking billable hours.”
Regarding balancing this workload with studying, we hear it’s manageable but by no means an easier route compared to the traditional path. “You do have access to a range of facilities on campus if you need them, but equally, all of our studying can be done from home,” one apprentice reports.
“I was so worried about missing out on the university social life and being alone,” one source confesses to us, “but I don’t feel like I’ve missed out at all. Sometimes I think I’m too busy!” Being based in the Bristol digs has a range of social benefits, we’re told. “Beyond the social life that comes from being in the paralegal pool itself, where most people are of a similar age, we have regular social events in the office, post-work drinks, meals, and nights out.” Additionally, recruits appreciate how the city has “lots of young people which is good for socialising and not missing out on that aspect of uni life.”
It also helps, we hear, that rookies have enough money to be able to enjoy their social lives! And, with the number of apprentices in the firm, and the Bristol area more widely, rising, one rookie we spoke to doesn’t see their social life slowing down any time soon. “Now we have a much wider group of apprentices, it’s much easier to have our own events,” they tell us.
On top of this already packed work, study, and social life, come a host of other opportunities. Recruits have the chance to complete international placements and client secondments during the programme. There are also options to get involved in charity work through the firm and add additional training to their CVs, including, for example, a mental health first aider certificate.
The biggest pull factors of RPC? It all comes down to culture, one rookie tells us. “I’m never expected to do overtime or work on a study day, which is a huge plus. I’m also not asked to work on weekends, which allows me some time to decompress and means I’m not too stressed,” they explain. “I have time to enjoy my social life and fit in some extra studying around exams if needed.”
For those preparing to put together apprenticeship applications, one insider has a few top tips. “Really get to know the culture of the firm and structure of the apprenticeship when deciding which firm is right for you. Look at the work that the firm does, the number of apprentices, and the size of the office,” they say. Ultimately, however, this interviewee tells us that there are perks to all types of firms and offices, large or small, City or regional, international or national, with the key being to make a personal choice and think through the options available.”