Paths into legal careers – what are my options?

There are a multitude of interesting careers available in the legal profession. And you don’t always need to follow a traditional career route to work in a law firm.

Pathway to Progression

Over the years we have created a ‘Pathway to Progression’ at Chadwick Lawrence, which provides clear pathways for fee earners to progress their careers with us. From training contracts through to salaried partnerships.

We have recently gone through our annual progression programme for training contracts and Associate and Partner promotions.

Here are the paths to progress within our firm at various levels:

START Real Estate Training Academy

The START Real Estate Training Academy is a specialist training scheme for conveyancing candidates. This is open to people from a range of backgrounds, and you don’t need to have any legal qualifications at the outset. It’s an 8-week programme of learning that culminates in candidates graduating with a Level 2 Conveyancing qualification and starting a full-time career in conveyancing with us at one of our locations in Yorkshire.

We have 2 START intakes per year, and the next one will commence later in the year. Discover more about our latest START graduates here.

Traineeships at Chadwick Lawrence

We work in conjunction with schools and colleges across West Yorkshire to provide work experience for students who are interested in legal careers. This Traineeship scheme launched over 10 years ago and has paved the way for many students who then go on to a successful career in law.

The traineeships offer practical work experience on either a full-time or part-time basis whilst the students are studying, and many then go on to study CILEX with us. The application process is either via a recommendation from a school/college, or by completing an application form. We start advertising for placements every March to start in September, subject to attaining the required grades.

CILEX Training Scheme (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives)

CILEX is the professional association and governing body for lawyers, other legal practitioners, and paralegals. It offers people a route into a legal career and becoming a qualified lawyer, without having to have a law degree. Law graduates and graduates with alternative degrees can also qualify as a lawyer through this route.

The CILEX Training Scheme is an alternative route to doing a law degree. This is a legal Apprenticeship, which is a structured, Government-run Apprenticeship program which, once completed, qualifies the Apprentice as a Legal Executive.

The training scheme awards you CILEX Levels 3 and 6 upon finishing. These qualifications or progressively being phased out by 2026 and are being replaced by an equivalent CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ). The scheme consists of various legal modules and examinations. Timescales are flexible according to personal and professional needs. However, on a part-time basis the course usually takes 4 years to complete.

Traditional routes into legal careers

Solicitor

Traditionally to become a solicitor involved obtaining a Law degree and undertaking the Legal Practice Course (LPC) before completing a training contract within a firm of solicitors. We never advertise externally for training contracts, preferring to offer them to internal candidates who have worked for us as paralegals.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are phasing out the above and have introduced in its place a new route to progression, namely the SQ1 and SQ2, as an alternative to the LPC route.

At Chadwick Lawrence we accept both pathways to progression.

Whichever route is taken, the application process to apply as a Trainee Solicitor at Chadwick Lawrence is the same.  This includes completing a Pathway to Progression form which is supported by the candidates Partner in charge, and then an interview with a Selection Panel. The closing date for applications is the end of November, with interviews taking place in January. The Selection panel consists of the Head of HR, a Board member, and an Equity Partner who the applicant does not directly report to. Successful candidates will be offered a training contract commencing 1 April.

The applications must show how the candidate has achieved the set of objectives, including financial, client care, marketing, and supports the Chadwick Lawrence Way of working.

The training contract currently consists of a rotation of 4 six-month ‘seats’ in different departments to ensure the candidate receives a full and well-rounded traineeship in both contentious and non-contentious work allowing them the best opportunity to select a legal specialism to qualify into. This can be reduced to 18 months, upon application to the SRA, if trainees have undertaken a ‘period of recognised training’ previously.

Associate

This is the fee earner progression of both solicitors and non-solicitors. The process is for fee earners looking to progress to Associate level within the firm. It involves completing an application form and an interview with a member of HR and 2 partners. It is beneficial if the Partner in charge provides a recommendation.

Interviews are carried out in November, with successful candidates appointed in January. Associateships are given to those people who it is felt deserve it and meet the criteria. There is no set number of Associateships awarded each year. This year we celebrated four Associate promotions.

Salaried Partner

This is for Associates who wish to progress to Salaried Partner level. This process also involves an application form and interview, with successful applications taking effect from January.

Interested in a career at Chadwick Lawrence? Click here