My Minster Journey – George King, Solicitor Apprentice
At Minster Law, every journey matters. In the “My Minster Journey” series, we’ll be spotlighting colleagues from across the business to share their stories, exploring the paths they’ve taken, the challenges they’ve overcome, and why they’ve chosen Minster Law as the place to build their careers.
Stay tuned as we celebrate the people behind the purpose. We’re delighted to speak to George, one of our solicitor apprentices who’s already making his mark on the future of personal injury law.
George, solicitor apprentice
Why I chose Minster Law
“I didn’t have a fixed plan after college. I studied Law at A-level and had found it really interesting, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. Unlike some of my friends, I knew that university wasn’t the right path for me, so when I saw Minster Law’s solicitor apprenticeship scheme advertised on LinkedIn, something clicked. It was very fortunate timing actually, as I discovered the role on the last day that applications were open!
“After completing the application form and then taking part in an initial Teams interview, I was then invited to take part in an assessment centre, taking part in a topical group debate, multiple quick-fire interview stations and then a personal presentation, before having an informal meeting with Minster Law’s CEO to see whether I’d be a good fit with the workplace culture. Following this, I got the good news that I’d been accepted onto the scheme and started my journey with Minster Law in the September of 2023.”
My onboarding experience
“Having not worked in an office environment before, I didn’t really know what to expect. However, my first few weeks gave me a really strong introduction to the business, and involved me taking part in a structured induction programme. This required shadowing paralegals and associates, attending meetings, learning about the civil claims process, completing independent e-learning sessions, and meeting as many different people as possible.
“What surprised me was that after the initial induction programme, I was given the freedom to choose my own working patterns and to work from home where needed. It was great that the business trusted me from such an early stage, and the flexibility has been really helpful for me to balance my work and studies.”
My role and responsibilities
“I’m part of the six-year solicitor apprenticeship programme which means I’ll get the opportunity to work across lots of departments in the business, from understanding how we support clients into Minster during of the worst phases of their lives, how we approach different types of cases at different valuations, and learning from what we’ve done well and seeing how we can innovate our processes. I’ve had the opportunity to have early client contact, attend meetings with counsel, draft witness statements, attend court and even visit the Royal Courts of Justice on my own!
“It hasn’t been what I expected of a solicitor apprenticeship, but in the best possible way. One of my personal highlights to date has been helping to recruit the next cohort of apprentices, shaping the recruitment process and identifying candidates who can make a great contribution to our business and culture.”
The Minster way
“For me, the culture is what really sets Minster Law apart. I’ve been given a lot of trust at a relatively early stage in my career and have had the opportunity to learn directly from senior figures within the business.
“Because Minster Law doesn’t operate in a very hierarchical way, the senior leaders are genuinely open to hearing from you and helping to shape your journey, which I really appreciate.”
Advice for aspiring solicitor apprentices
“One thing I’d say to anyone considering applying for a solicitor apprenticeship is not to doubt themselves. You don’t need to come armed with all the answers, as you’ll end up learning so much on the job. So in the meantime just be open-minded, ask questions to help inform what you like the most about the job, and make the most of every opportunity you’re offered.
“On my apprenticeship programme there are college leavers like myself, university graduates, and also those who were already working at Minster Law and wanted to progress. That means you get the double benefit of learning not just from senior figures, but also from colleagues who bring life experience and different perspectives – so curiosity and confidence are key.”
