Sam's journey to Trowers & Hamlins

Sam is now a solicitor apprentice in Trowers & Hamlins' Manchester office, after securing a place in his very first application cycle. His route wasn't a straight line. A change of heart in Year 13, a productive gap year and an Uptree online application masterclass all played a part in helping him land his first-choice firm.

Sam grew up in Macclesfield and stayed on at his high school for sixth form, studying RE, Spanish and economics alongside an EPQ. He'd planned to study RE at university, but halfway through Year 13 he realised he wanted something more defined: a profession with a clear end goal.

"I like having a clear plan. I wanted to train in something that gave me an end goal, rather than doing a degree and seeing where it led me."

That led him to law and then to solicitor apprenticeships, a route he'd almost written off. At school, apprenticeships had mostly meant trades and few reflected his interests. Once he discovered legal apprenticeships, he decided they were worth a shot. He took a gap year to build his experience, working at a special educational needs college, performing as a musician in the evenings and at weekends and completing work experience placements in the holidays. By the end of it, he felt ready to compete.

"I thought I'd be able to compete a lot better at 18 than after university, when everyone has way more experience."

Sam applied to just three firms and Trowers & Hamlins was his favourite from the start, feeling more people-focused than the others. In early 2026, shortly before the firm's February deadline, he joined Uptree's online application masterclass with Trowers & Hamlins. What stood out was the time given to current apprentices, who shared insights he hadn't considered. He connected with them on LinkedIn afterwards and says the session played a meaningful part in the firm becoming his first choice.

The application itself played to his strengths. The online assessment was strengths-based, asking how he'd handle real workplace situations, which suited his office experience. His interview went so well that one of his interviewers is now his mentor. The group task was the hardest part. As Sam describes it, you want to stand out without being overbearing and impress without being disrespectful.

Three weeks in, the work is already varied. In a single day, he has reviewed exhibits, helped a partner redraft clauses in an agreement and joined a client call about energy contracts, alongside energy brokers and a barrister. What surprised him most was how naturally work comes his way, including from the senior partner sitting at the desk opposite.

His advice for students following the same path is clear.

"Remember you're applying to be an apprentice, not just to work in law. Make a list of everything you think it means to be an apprentice and come up with an example for each. That becomes the backbone of everything you write or say."

Interested in following in Sam's footsteps? Trowers & Hamlins is running a solicitor apprenticeship work experience day with Uptree in Manchester on 25 November 2026, and an online application masterclass on 27 January 2027. Find out more and sign up on the Uptree Trowers & Hamlins page.