Halton Borough Council, United Kingdom (On-Site)
£34,288.50
37
Lawyer Apprentice (Level 7) (commencing July 2025)
Salary Grade – £34,288.50
Greetings from the Head of Legal Services – Corporate & Governance
I have been with the Council for over 7 years and I have found it a great place to work. What sets it apart is the culture and the people! I have felt valued as an employee and there are some great benefits too (check these out below!). In Legal Services, you are not just joining a team of fantastic lawyers but a family – as cringey as that may sound. The work has been extremely varied and rewarding. I have been championed in developing my career which has seen me move through the ranks from Solicitor to Group Solicitor and now a Head of Legal Service. I have also been supported personally with flexible working arrangements which, as a busy mum of 2 small children, has been extremely important.
This is an exciting time as we are growing our service and we are looking for a number of talented lawyers to join us on our journey. In particular, we are looking for an enthusiastic Lawyer Apprentice to join our team.
The Apprenticeship
Our Lawyer Apprenticeship is a Level 7 qualification combining study with work to allow you to qualify as a Solicitor. You will learn on the job at our office in Widnes, whilst studying on average between 8 and 9 hours per week during your contracted hours with our training provider, DAMAR, to complete the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE).
Working as an apprentice at Halton Borough Council, offers a great opportunity to make a real difference to the community of Halton, whilst gaining valuable, hands-on experience. With a dedicated Apprenticeship Officer to support you throughout your journey here at Halton, you will be given every opportunity to succeed. Additionally, apprentices are offered opportunities to network with other apprentices and professionals across the council, helping to build connections and develop their careers.
The apprentice will be supervised by the Head of Legal Services - Corporate and Governance, while training under the Principal Lawyers, gaining experience in all areas of Legal Services. This includes: planning, conveyancing, criminal and civil litigation, children’s and adults social care, licensing, commercial contracts, acquisitions, employment and governance. You can expect to become fully involved in legal work, including advocacy, whilst being provided with training in a supportive environment.
Benefits
In addition to a stimulating, exciting and high quality apprenticeship, we also offer a fantastic range of benefits, including:-
- A generous annual holiday allowance starting at 34 days per year (including bank holidays), increasing with long service;
- Membership of our defined benefit, salary-linked Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with generous employer contributions;
- 3 x Salary Life Cover via Local Government Pension Scheme;
- Investment in your personal development;
- Free Car Parking at HBC sites;
- Flexible working arrangements;
- Extensive employee benefits platform including discounted shopping, car leasing, gym memberships, wellbeing hub and Employee Assistance Programme.
Eligibility criteria and who we’re looking for
You will either:-
Apprenticeship type 1 – 18 months
- Have an LLB or BA in Law, plus a minimum of 6 months employment in a law firm, or similar setting
OR have achieved one of the following:-
Apprenticeship type 2 - 35 months
- a degree in non-law subjects; or
- CILEX Level 3 Certificate or Diploma; or
- Paralegal Level 3 Apprenticeship.
If you qualify for the type 1 apprenticeship, your apprenticeship will be for 18 months. A type 2 apprenticeship will be for 35 months.
In addition, you must be ready to start the apprenticeship by no later than 4 July 2025.
You will also have:-
- a passion for local government legal services, a can do attitude and the ability to thrive within a busy legal services;
- excellent communication skills;
- the ability to prioritise work and manage competing demands;
- attention to detail;
- commercial awareness.
How to apply
Please upload your CV and if you’d like to tell us more, feel free to include some supporting information with your application.
Assessment
If you are shortlisted to the next stage, you will be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation via TEAMS on 30 May 2025. The presentation will be on:-
“Why do you want this Lawyer Apprenticeship”.
Candidates will then be shortlisted for interview which will take place on 3 June 2025 before a panel of 3 interviewees, including the Heads of Legal Service. You will also be asked to complete a written exercise on the day of your interview.
If you would like to have an informal chat about this role, please contact me on 0151 511 6535. For more information please check out the attached job profile.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. If you’re interested, please complete your application as early as possible.
We look forward to receiving your application!