For Daniel Onafuwa, a solicitor apprenticeship offered a route into the legal profession that combined practical experience, financial security and social mobility. As Wales considers the future of legal education and workforce development, his story raises an important question: why are aspiring solicitors in Wales still unable to access the same opportunities available across the border?
After completing an LLB at Cardiff University, Daniel Onafuwa chose a different path to qualify as a solicitor through a Level 7 solicitor graduate apprenticeship. He explains how it is allowing him to qualify while earning, and why people in Wales should have the same opportunity.
Growing up in a single-parent household with limited financial means and without connections to the legal profession, getting into law wasn’t easy.
Now, he is completing a Level 7 apprenticeship with Michelmores in Bristol and, after passing his SQE1 exams, is on track to qualify next year.
Daniel, 26, explains:
“It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I needed financial stability and didn’t want to take on more debt. The LPC would have cost up to £17,000 and didn’t guarantee a training contract at the end.
“The apprenticeship gave me the chance to start in the workplace straight away and qualify while earning. With everything funded, I can support myself and my family. That’s given me real security and, for people like me, makes the profession feel much more accessible.
He adds that getting ‘hands-on experience’ has helped him to build confidence and understand how the law works in practice. ‘You’re not just learning theory, you’re applying it in real time’.
There are two Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship pathways for graduates and those without a degree. Both have been available in England for more than a decade and provide a more accessible route into the profession, particularly for those from lower-income backgrounds.
In Wales, however, young people cannot access this opportunity because Level 7 solicitor apprenticeships are not included within the Welsh Government’s funded apprenticeship framework.
The Law Society’s Wales office welcomed Plaid Cymru’s manifesto commitment to a level 7 solicitor apprenticeship and are now calling on the Welsh Government to set out detailed plans for delivering a fully funded programme in Wales.
As part of this delivery, the Law Society believes funding should support both school leavers and graduates like Daniel. Recent changes in England now restrict funding for most Level 7 apprenticeships to those aged 21 and under.
Daniel, who lived in Cardiff for six years, is keen to be a visible example to others:
“There are so many young people in Wales who have the talent, determination and resilience to succeed, but they don’t have the financial resources to go down the traditional route.
“The apprenticeship is a success in England, and people in Wales deserve the same opportunities.
While Daniel didn’t have connections in the profession, he gained early experience through the Allen & Overy Smart Start programme, which supports sixth form students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I loved Cardiff and had planned to stay there. If the apprenticeship was available in Wales, I definitely could have seen myself staying, qualifying and building my future. It just happened that I was offered this amazing opportunity in Bristol.”
“Being selected was incredible. I came from a humble background having grown up on free school meals and without connections, and I had access to mentoring and training from a top Magic Circle global law firm.
Daniel believes this was his ‘spark’ moment: ‘It opened a whole new world to me. My background could be seen as a setback, but it became the strength that shaped the future I’ve built over the past decade’.
After graduating in 2020, Daniel worked as a paralegal in Cardiff and co-founded National Community Law Project CIC. The project is driven by a desire to help others and create opportunities for aspiring lawyers, providing legal support to low-income and vulnerable people who cannot access legal aid, while offering work experience to those looking to enter the legal profession.
Explaining why he chose the project, Daniel says:
“I grew up in a strong Christian household, and my faith and family have been a constant source of support. I’ve been fortunate to have people take a chance on me, and I want to use that experience to support the next generation from similar backgrounds.
“It goes back to something my mum told me growing up: if you have the ability, power or time, choose to be a blessing in someone else’s life. That stayed with me.”
He has also supported social mobility initiatives through his firm, including mentoring students from disadvantaged backgrounds as part of Michelmores’ Momentum programme.
Jonathan Davies, Head of Wales at the Law Society, explains:
“A Welsh Government funded Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship programme would help address the inequality in provision that currently exists across the England and Wales border, while creating an alternative route into the profession and helping tackle the legal deserts affecting communities across Wales.
“Aspiring solicitors in Wales should have access to the same chance to qualify while earning, gain practical experience and build their careers in Wales.”
Daniel’s experience highlights the importance of ensuring this vital route into the profession is available to more young people.
