Trainee Solicitor (Graduate Apprenticeship) - Level 7 - London in City of London

Trainee Solicitor (Graduate Apprenticeship) - Level 7 - London

Contract Type: Fixed-Term Apprenticeship, Full-time for 30 months

Department: Legal

Location: London - London Broadcasting House

Salary: £33,000 (+£5,441 London Weighting)

COULD A BBC APPRENTICESHIP BE THE NEXT ROLE FOR YOU?

Join us as a trainee solicitor at the BBC and take the opportunity to kick‑start your legal career in a role that will both challenge and excite you. We’re committed to the development of your skills and talent over the next 30 months, leading to your qualification as a solicitor. You’ll learn on‑the‑job, at the same time as you will work towards your SQE exams, under a day release scheme, with our education provider.

WHY JOIN THIS SCHEME?

BBC Legal is offering aspiring solicitors the chance to train in‑house at one of the world’s most respected broadcasters. You’ll develop legal skills and experience while supporting the creation of global content. The work is wide-ranging, intellectually challenging and really interesting – with every day offering new opportunities to learn.

We are offering five graduates the chance to work as part of the BBC’s extended legal team whilst studying for both parts of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam (SQE). You will be a contributing member of the team from day one, whilst earning a full‑time salary.

To find out more about the schemes we offer, you can register to join one of our webinars here.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM?

Join a high performing, collaborative team where your work helps shape content enjoyed by millions worldwide. This is a rare opportunity to combine training at a 100‑person strong centralised legal function (that works like private practice) with even larger, cutting‑edge business affairs teams in the media industry. Training in‑house at the BBC offers a rare chance to grow personally and professionally—developing legal expertise while contributing to meaningful projects in a creative environment.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT

As a Trainee Solicitor Graduate Apprentice (LSP26), you will gain experience in at least four areas, such as:

• Litigation and Information Rights
• Programme Legal Advice
• Employment Law
• Regulatory and Competition Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Rights and Business Affairs
• Distribution Law
• Technology Law
• Commercial Law

You’ll study for your SQE 1 & 2 qualification, learning both on and off the job and have the opportunity to apply the skills you learn in real life. This means you will be working in the team 4 days a week and spend one day studying with our education provider, BPP.

For more information on the apprenticeship standard you will be studying, please visit this link.

YOUR SKILLS AND ELIGIBILITY

We’re interested in your passion for working at the BBC and your enthusiasm for delivering world‑class content and operational excellence to our audiences.

If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply:

• Legal knowledge – A solid foundation in law is essential, and a willingness to deepen your understanding through studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).
• Attention to detail – Precision is crucial when handling complex legal documents and advice. Demonstrate your ability to work meticulously.
• Analytical thinking and problem solving – You’ll need to break down complex legal issues clearly and provide sound solutions, often briefing senior lawyers and colleagues.
• Communication – Clear, confident, and professional communication is essential, both in writing and verbally.
• Integrity – Trustworthiness and ethical judgement are at the core of all legal work.
• Resilience – The apprenticeship is demanding; the ability to manage pressure, balance full‑time work with study, and adapt to changing priorities is key.
• Collaboration – Working effectively with colleagues across diverse teams to support the BBC’s business objectives.

This scheme is aimed at graduates. If you don\'t have a degree and you’re interested in other roles at the BBC, we recommend applying for jobs at the BBC careers site or having a look at our other apprenticeship schemes.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for an apprenticeship at the BBC, you must:

• Be 18 years old or over by the time the apprenticeship begins in September 2026
• Be legally eligible to work full‑time in the UK for the entire duration of the apprenticeship
• Not currently be enrolled in another apprenticeship programme, whether with the BBC or another organisation.

To apply for this scheme, you must also:

• Have a qualifying law degree* or a non‑law degree plus the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) achieved in the last 5 years (graduated 2021 or later), at grade/award 2:1 or above by the start of the scheme in September 2026
• Have achieved Maths and English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above or National 5 (Scotland) at C or above or an equivalent qualification
• Have achieved A levels at grade AAB or above (or an international equivalent qualification)
• Not have achieved any part of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE). If you have already achieved any part of the LPC or SQE, you will not be eligible for this scheme.

*A qualifying law degree is a law degree program from a qualifying institution recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which covers English Foundational Law.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Our apprenticeship roles are also subject to you having the required qualifications that we have deemed to be necessary for your role and the requirement of the training provider for your scheme. The offer would be subject to you undergoing and meeting the requirements of a skill‑scan process with the BBC nominated training provider to determine your eligibility.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct employment screening checks which include reference checks; eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, safeguarding and adverse media/social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

READY TO APPLY?

Don’t leave yourself wondering “what if?” this could be your chance to be part of something exciting. See yourself thriving in this role? Just click ‘Apply Now’!

You’ll create a candidate profile and answer a few questions - no CV or cover letter needed.

If you\'re eligible, we’ll guide you through the next steps of the process and what to expect.

You’ll need to live within a commutable distance of where this role is based.

This is a fixed‑term apprenticeship - your contract lasts for the duration of the scheme.

Once completed, you’ll be supported with career development, employability training, and networking opportunities to help you take your next step – whether that’s at the BBC or elsewhere in the industry.

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:

• Excellent career and professional development.
• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave (26 days for BBC Studios), a range of policies to support your work/life balance, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

As an Apprentice you will also receive:

• An industry‑recognised qualification.
• Industry‑leading training through the BBC Academy and our learning providers (this may involve travel to locations across the UK).
• A dedicated Team Manager and Scheme Specialist to help with your development.
• Training and mentoring by industry professionals.
• A bespoke BBC apprenticeship experience including apprenticeship development days and membership of the BBC Apprenticeship community.
• Employability and networking training and support to help you secure your next role.
• The opportunity to apply for financial support for relocation subject to eligibility.

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual\'s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Disability confident

We take inclusivity seriously and want to ensure all candidates who are disabled or have long‑term health conditions receive the support and adjustments they need. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the recruitment process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via the Early Careers Recruitment contact form and we’d be happy to discuss how we can support you through the process.