Finding My Own Route into Law: An Apprentice Solicitor’s View

On Wednesday 7 October, LIFI Futures asks a question plenty of young people in Leeds will recognise: why does no one talk about apprenticeships? Hosted by Larry Budd at Leeds Playhouse, the session brings students from schools and colleges across the city together with people who know the route well, to talk honestly about what apprenticeships involve, how to get one and where they can lead.

Weightmans supports LIFI Futures, so we asked them for a view from the inside. Abigail joined their Leeds office as a Solicitor Apprentice this September. Here’s how a golf scholarship in Colorado ended up leading her into law.

For most of my life, I had one goal: to earn a golf scholarship and study in America, while continuing to compete and travel with golf. After sixth form, I achieved that goal and went straight to Colorado State University.

After a couple of semesters, and following an injury, I began to realise that I didn’t want to stay for the full four years. My experience there had changed my relationship with golf, and I was no longer sure that continuing on that path was right for me. Deciding to return to the UK was incredibly difficult. I had worked towards that opportunity since I was six, so leaving felt like giving up something I had spent years pursuing. But I knew it was the right decision for me, both mentally and physically.

When I got home, I panicked. I felt as though I had wasted a year and fallen behind everyone else. University seemed like the obvious next step. I think schools can sometimes make it feel as though university is the main route to a successful professional career, so I applied. At the same time, I started working as an Assistant Secretary at Headingley Golf Club. Over the next two years, I developed professional skills, took on responsibility, earned a good wage and found a structure to my working life that I really enjoyed. As I gained more experience, I had time to think about what I wanted. I realised I didn’t want to leave work to go to university. For me, it wasn’t just about student debt; I also valued continuing to earn, save and have independence over how I used my money. University felt like a step away from the working life I had started to build.

I withdrew my university application and applied for solicitor apprenticeships. I wanted to build a career in law while working alongside people who know the profession well. Being able to learn from their experience, ask questions and see how legal knowledge is used in a commercial context really appealed to me.

I don’t think university is the wrong choice, or that it can’t offer valuable practical opportunities. It simply didn’t feel like the right route for me. I learn best when I can connect what I’m studying to real work. Being a solicitor involves more than knowing the law: it also calls for communication, drafting, judgment and an understanding of how to work with clients and colleagues. I value being able to develop those skills alongside my studies.

That is one reason I think it matters for young people to hear about apprenticeships. They can be misunderstood as a second choice, or as a route for only certain kinds of jobs. And if university is presented as the default, it’s easy to miss other ways into a professional career. My own path was not straightforward, and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do when I returned from Colorado. Having time to work, reflect and discover another option helped me find a route that suits me.

You don’t have to have your whole future mapped out at 16 or 18. Sometimes the right next step only becomes clear once you’ve had the chance to try something, learn about yourself and see what other routes are open to you.

About the author: Abigail is a 20-year-old Solicitor Apprentice who joined Weightmans’ Leeds office in September 2026. Before starting her apprenticeship, she spent two years as Assistant Secretary at Headingley Golf Club and studied at Colorado State University on a golf scholarship, having competed at high amateur level.

Why does no one talk about apprenticeships? is part of LIFI Futures, the festival’s programme for young people, supported by Weightmans. Larry Budd hosts, with panellists Laura Collins, Kelly Marie McAllister, Libby Morgan and Paula Willoughby. It takes place on Wednesday 7 October, 11.30am to 12.30pm, in the Bramall Rock Void at Leeds Playhouse, and is an invitation-only session for schools and colleges.

👉 Find out more about the session

Leeds International Festival of Ideas runs from 6 to 10 October at Leeds Playhouse.