My legal life: Eleanor Brickell, Express Solicitors

I studied law at college and it was a subject I found to be particularly interesting and enjoyable. Although I liked the thought of becoming a solicitor, I didn’t think full-time university was the right fit. I wanted to start working full-time as soon as possible and gain practical experience in a law firm. I was also anxious about committing to a degree and incurring student debt without knowing if it was the right job for me. I applied to Express on a basic level 3 CILEX apprenticeship. My intention was to then move on to level 6 CILEX and qualify as a chartered legal executive if it was something that I enjoyed. 

I started at Express in September 2015 and my first position was in the post room. My role involved general administration tasks including opening post, scanning it on to the system, allocating it to individual files, preparing conference rooms, photocopying and processing post to be sent out. I had just turned 20 at the time, and with this being my first ‘grown-up’ job, I was keen to make a good impression and learn as much as I could about the firm’s processes. As we dealt with a lot of paper files back then, I was constantly in and out of people’s offices and got to know most of the firm, from other administration assistants to partners. I remember looking up to and having a lot of respect for the solicitors. It was then that I realised this was the profession I saw myself doing. 

Around a year into the course, the level 7 solicitor apprenticeship was created. Express encouraged me to apply for it and I started it in September 2017. I was excited to get the opportunity to study for a law degree and eventually qualify via a firm that I loved working for. 

'I was able to earn a salary while I was studying, which was much more appealing to me than studying full-time with a part-time job on the side, and, of course, had the added bonus of incurring no student debt'

I found that the solicitor apprenticeship was the right fit for me in so many ways compared with the traditional route. My work/study ratio was split 80/20. I had one day a week attending online university lectures working towards my degree, and the other four I spent working for Express gaining invaluable practical experience. I also didn’t need to worry about the possibility of not being able to secure a training contract following completion of my degree because the course would take me to qualification via the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

I felt secure in the job and constantly had the end goal in mind: to qualify. My colleagues were supportive of my studies and always happy to answer any questions I had. I was also able to earn a salary while studying. This was much more appealing than studying full-time with a part-time job on the side, and, of course, it had the added bonus of incurring no student debt in the meantime as everything was funded via the apprenticeship levy. 

This route did not come without challenges. For the first five years, I had exams every three to four months, on top of coursework, attending weekly online lectures and completing my portfolio. There were many evenings and weekends spent dedicated to my studies and I would use quite a lot of my annual leave for study. It was quite overwhelming at times, but I was well-supported throughout, both in my professional and personal life. At the time I sat the SQE exams, I also had a full caseload. I was having to make sure everything was in order before I took any time off, and I came back to a backlog that I had to work through.

I qualified in June 2024 and currently have a caseload of claimant personal injury cases, specifically occupiers’ and public liability matters. I deal with cases from cradle to conclusion. In my department we have such a variety of cases – slips in supermarkets, trips on potholes, food poisoning cases, animal attacks, cosmetic cases and injuries caused by defective products. It is difficult to summarise my day-to-day role as every day is so different but, ultimately, I represent claimants who have suffered injury as a result of negligence by others. 

My advice to aspiring solicitors would be to properly explore all potential routes into the profession before making your decision. Also, find which area drives you the most and seek work experience in that area to get a feel for what your life would be like in that role.