Solicitor apprentice, Sarah Ternant is delighted to end her first year of the Solicitors Apprenticeship course at Northumbria University on a high, achieving a ‘first’ after her overall exam results were collated.
Juggling her studies with practical firsthand experience at North East Law Firm, Savage Silk, Sarah supports the Private Client team in taking instructions from clients and drafting wills, LPAs, and probate documents, all under the supervision of Partner, Emma Huscroft and her team.
After completing her A ‘Levels at King Edwards VI School in Morpeth, Sarah joined Savage Silk as a business administration apprentice in November 2018. It was soon obvious that she had the potential to put her skills into developing a career as a solicitor and she therefore applied for the apprenticeship programme.
The Solicitors Apprenticeship Course at Northumbria University allows students to combine theoretical academic studies with practice-based modules and work-based learning. The apprenticeship also integrates a law degree, which is obtained at the end of the fourth year. The course lasts for six years and for students who complete the course it means that they do not have to take part in a trainee solicitor programme, due to SQE1 and SQE2 being integrated into the final two years of the course.
Sarah said, “Taking the apprenticeship route to qualify as a solicitor is a win, win situation for me and for Savage Silk. It allows me time to study law, from one of the most highly regarded law schools in the UK, whilst experiencing the reality of working in a law firm and learning from some of the best solicitors in the region. Best of all, I will not have any student debts when I qualify as a solicitor. Working in the private client department at Savage Silk has given me a lot of exposure to great clients and the support from the team is second to none. I have learned so much in a short space of time and would not have gained direct experience, at that level, if I had decided to embark upon a law degree.”
Emma Huscroft, said, “Sarah is an integral part of the team, and we are immensely proud of her achievements during the last year. She has worked hard, and it has paid off. It has been interesting to watch her develop the skills needed to deal with clients who are going through, what can be, an incredibly stressful time. It takes a certain type of person to manage sensitive, personal, and often complex issues. However, I do not doubt for a moment Sarah has the qualities to do this kind of work, having already seen what she can achieve.”
Established in 2014, Savage Silk has an office in Newcastle city centre and in Teesside, offering a wide range legal advice to business owners and individuals. The firm’s service offering includes corporate and commercial, commercial property, employment, litigation, residential conveyancing and wills and probate.