The Legal Cheek View
Meet RPC at Legal Cheek’s solicitor apprenticeship application masterclass on Thursday 26 November 2026 and sixth-former insight session on Thursday 14 January 2027.
This is the RPC profile for those considering solicitor apprenticeships. Students looking to apply for training contracts should check out Legal Cheek’s main RPC profile.
RPC has two offices in the UK, in London and Bristol, as well as strong presences in Singapore and Hong Kong. It also has access to an international network of law firms spanning 117 countries, chaired by one of its partners. Apprentices have the chance to delve into the outfit’s range of practice areas, including professional negligence, commercial/M&A, commercial contracts, banking, defamation, insurance, media and entertainment, and tax. The firm expanded its solicitor apprenticeship programme to its London office in 2025 and now recruits apprentices in Bristol and London in alternate years. We’re told the work in both offices is of “City quality” and includes both domestic and international matters.
The apprenticeship route is ideal for someone who prefers to learn on the job while gaining their qualifications, as we’re told by one RPC rookie: “It’s great to study and earn a degree while learning what a solicitor actually does and applying that university knowledge directly in a practical environment.” The insider stresses that the salary and lack of student debt aren’t bad reasons to take the non-traditional route either.
Regarding why RPC, recruits point to the opportunity to build practical experience from the outset while working towards qualification as a solicitor. The structure gives apprentices the chance to develop their legal knowledge alongside their day-to-day work and gain first-hand experience of life at a large commercial law firm.
The culture at the firm is another significant draw. “At the assessment day, the firm really stood out for me as everyone was just so friendly, welcoming, and chatty,” one apprentice tells us. “During that time, we were given tours of the office building and were able to speak to associates and partners, ask any questions we had, and find out more about the firm.” This, we’re told, was a very different experience compared to assessments at other firms for one recruit. “It emphasises how the process is a two-way street. It’s not just important that the firm likes you and thinks you’ll make a good candidate, but also that you like the firm. They should be trying to impress you just as much as you are trying to impress them.”
Once at RPC, apprentices have the opportunity to work with colleagues across the firm and gain exposure to a broad range of matters and practice areas. This variety gives recruits the chance to build their understanding of different types of legal work and discover the areas that most interest them. The firm’s international reach can also provide exposure to work with a cross-border element.
Having a network of colleagues around them is particularly useful for apprentices as they develop both academically and professionally. More experienced team members can provide guidance on practical tasks and help recruits get to grips with how work is handled within a commercial law firm. This gives apprentices an on-hand support network for both academic and practical issues as and when they need it.
The work at RPC starts with more basic legal and administrative tasks, which rookies say give them time to learn the fundamentals, such as “how to conduct yourself professionally in the office with a range of different people, how to draft emails properly,” as well as how to use the firm’s internal systems. From here, the level of responsibility increases as apprentices build their knowledge and experience, with rookies progressing towards more advanced case handling over the course of the programme, albeit with appropriate supervision.
Throughout this time, apprentices are encouraged to develop at a pace that reflects their experience and workload. “It’s up to you how much you take on depending on how you’re doing at that time,” one apprentice tells us. The emphasis, we hear, is on giving recruits the space to learn, train and improve as they progress towards qualification.
Regarding balancing this workload with studying, we hear it’s manageable but by no means an easier route compared to the traditional path. “You do have access to a range of facilities on campus if you need them, but equally, all of our studying can be done from home,” one apprentice reports.
“I was so worried about missing out on the university social life and being alone,” one source confesses to us, “but I don’t feel like I’ve missed out at all. Sometimes I think I’m too busy!” Apprentices also have access to the social side of life at RPC, with regular office events, post-work drinks, meals and nights out helping recruits to build relationships with colleagues.
For those based in Bristol, the city itself adds to the experience. Recruits appreciate how it has “lots of young people which is good for socialising and not missing out on that aspect of uni life.” With the apprentice community at RPC and in the wider area continuing to grow, there are also increasing opportunities for apprentices to organise their own events and develop a network of people at a similar stage of their careers.
On top of an already packed work, study and social life comes a host of other opportunities. Recruits have the chance to complete international placements and client secondments during the programme. There are also options to get involved in charity work through the firm and add additional training to their CVs, including, for example, a mental health first aider certificate.
The biggest pull factors of RPC? It all comes down to culture, one rookie tells us. “I’m never expected to do overtime or work on a study day, which is a huge plus. I’m also not asked to work on weekends, which allows me some time to decompress and means I’m not too stressed,” they explain. “I have time to enjoy my social life and fit in some extra studying around exams if needed.”
For those preparing to put together apprenticeship applications, one insider has a few top tips. “Really get to know the culture of the firm and structure of the apprenticeship when deciding which firm is right for you. Look at the work that the firm does, the number of apprentices, and the size of the office,” they say. Ultimately, however, this interviewee tells us that there are perks to all types of firms and offices, large or small, City or regional, international or national, with the key being to make a personal choice and think through the options available.
This is RPC’s Solicitor Apprenticeship profile. Read RPC’s full Legal Cheek profile here.