Ashtons Legal to sponsor current employee through a Solicitor Apprenticeship

Full-service law firm Ashtons Legal is supporting one of its current employees through a new Solicitor Apprenticeship, starting in September 2016, with training delivered by CILEx Law School and City University London.

Sarah-Jane Legge is currently working in the French legal team in the firm’s Bury St Edmunds office, and although currently dealing with a variety of areas of law, may also rotate seats in the course of the six-year apprenticeship programme.

Ashtons Legal has a long tradition of recruiting and training employees into fee-earning roles, and currently has twenty students throughout six offices studying for CILEx qualifications by distance learning with CILEx Law School.

Edward O’Rourke, CEO at Ashtons Legal, said: “This initiative is an extension of our strategy of developing talent in-house. We have had a lot of success in sponsoring staff into qualified lawyers through the CILEx route, and are pleased that we can now offer the solicitor apprenticeship as one of a range of opportunities for developing members of staff who show potential.”

Current members of staff who have been sponsored by the firm include Octavia Stoodley who worked through the full CILEx qualification in the space of four years, having initially joined as an office assistant.

Jenny Pelling, Director of Business and Apprenticeships at CILEx Law School, said: “We look forward to extending our relationship with Ashtons Legal in this way. We have enjoyed watching other members of staff flourish in the course of their training with us and are pleased to be able to offer this new training route in partnership with City University London.”

Angela Jackman, Senior Lecturer at the City Law School, said: “We welcome Sarah-Jane as part of our first intake of solicitor apprentices and look forward to watching her development over the six years of the programme.”

Photo: Sarah-Jane Legge