The UK’s first in-house apprentice solicitor, Holly Moore has trail-blazed a path that offers a real alternative to the traditional qualifying route for aspiring lawyers.
Two years on from successfully completing her apprenticeship, Holly recently sat down with CLL to share her experiences from her six-year qualifying period and life as a Legal Advisor at ITV.
Is the 80/20 split for work and study respectively realistic?
Yes, although I consistently did more than one day of study each week – in the same way that if I were at university, I’d have put in extra hours.
It's a challenge to fit everything in but then that's one of the positives of the scheme. It shows you what life in the real world is like.
I was lucky in that I had great support from my team here at ITV. They were always open to my suggestions and we quickly realised that one study day at home each week would work best for me. The day itself varied depending on workload, but when I studied at home, I’d set boundaries. For example, no looking at work emails.
What attracted you to a career in-house as opposed to joining a private practice?
At the beginning, I was just focused on training to be lawyer, without any strong feelings either way. I applied to both a private practice and the apprenticeship scheme at ITV and soon realised that the in-house role was the one for me. I could relate to everyone there and knew I’d learn from people across other functions such as business, marketing, production and others.
ITV also showed a real passion for the apprentice scheme. They were determined to make it succeed, so in the end it was an easy decision.
Would you recommend the apprentice route to others?
It's an incredible route to qualification and I've had nothing but positive experiences from it - even the hard bits. I've also spoken to many other people who, like me, wouldn't have qualified if it hadn’t been for the apprenticeship route.
That said, it’s not for everyone. Everyone has different strengths, learns differently and becomes ready to enter the workplace at different times. I was ready at 18 but others might not be until their early 20s or later. So it's important to know yourself, do your research and make sure you're picking the right route for you. For me, the apprenticeship route was amazing.
What advice would you give to others contemplating the apprenticeship route?
Four things.
Firstly, as I touched on earlier, set and adhere to boundaries and urge your colleagues to respect them. It’s vital to keep your study time free from work distractions.
Secondly, be open to new experiences. When you get comfortable with something, ask for the next challenge that’ll push you to your next level.
Thirdly, take responsibility for your development. This can be hard when you’re young, but you need to develop your voice and accept that things won’t just land in your lap.
And finally, don’t panic when the going gets tough. It’s normal to have difficult moments during training, so stay focused and build and maintain a good network of supportive people.
What resources are there to help apprentice solicitors?
As the solicitor apprenticeship programme is relatively new, there weren’t many established resources specific to my situation while I was training.
I relied more on networking and developing relationships with people I met at events. That proved helpful as I could learn from a variety of industry professionals, all at different stages of their career, and create a support system.
Social media accounts and blogs on subjects of interest to me are valuable – and completely free – too. As an example, I specialise in IP and subscribe to IPKat, and follow many qualified and aspiring lawyers on social media. It’s another way to grow your network and be part of a community, regardless of where you are based.
More generally, I would point people to City Century, which does a lot of work around solicitor apprenticeships.
Your blog has over 13,000 followers. Does that help to motivate you?
It does. Early in my apprenticeship, I was often asked to share my journey and I really enjoyed doing it. It felt good to help future solicitor apprentices.
Then, when I finished my degree, I thought I’d start my own blog and start documenting my progress in a single place.
That Law Blog got a really positive response so I've continued it ever since. It's gone through a few different iterations and I now do a lot of work on the Solicitors Qualifying Examination with BARBRI, the prep course provider I studied with. I also enjoy documenting my journey as a qualified lawyer, two years on from finishing my apprenticeship.
What has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?
Without a doubt, completing my apprenticeship. When I started it, I was 18 and the six year course ahead of me felt huge. Added to that was the awareness that no one had done it before, so I was a little apprehensive about how it would all pan out. I kept telling myself that when I qualify, I’ll still only be 24, but back then it still felt like such a long journey ahead. And then the next six years flew by and I qualified. It felt incredible. I did my first keynote speech last year in front of 1,000 people and it felt such a privilege to share my apprenticeship experience with them.
What do enjoy most in your current role?
The variety of it and that there’s so much potential for growth and development. I realise that I’ll never know everything there is to know about any given specialism, so I never get bored. I’m also no longer the most junior person in the team, so I’ve enjoyed the transition into a mentoring and partially supervisory role. It feels good to help new colleagues in their career journeys.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
I’ve played football for 20 years now, so it’s a real constant in my life and I play every weekend. I recently took up running and ran the 2024 London Marathon.
I’m also a massive bookworm. I’ll literally read anything, but the Harry Potter books have been my favourite since childhood. They’re my comfort – I always turn to them when I need a break from the real world.
