Addleshaw Goddard is to implement a new apprenticeship scheme allowing participants to qualify as solicitors without a university education.

The firm has told Legal Week it would allow its current apprentices on a legal executive apprenticeship scheme to transition onto the proposed Trailblazer legal apprenticeship with the option to become a qualified solicitor, paralegal or legal executive.

It is understood that other firms involved in drafting the new apprenticeship standards, including Simmons & Simmons, Clyde & Co, Eversheds and DAC Beachcroft, will look to implement the scheme once it comes into use in 2017.

Those firms were among several that helped the government develop new apprenticeship standards, as part of the Trailblazers Apprenticeship in Law.

The new standards could open the legal profession up to non-graduates, who could potentially qualify through the apprenticeship route.

Other firms involved included Mayer Brown, Burges Salmon, Olswang alongside in-house teams from Barclays and RBS. 

"The law firms in the group have been very supportive of this," said Addleshaws' resourcing manager and Trailblazer committee chair, Gun Judge.

"If what we are aiming for goes through, we can transition the apprentices we already have onto the new scheme."

Over the next few months Judge aims to raise awareness of the consultation among law firms, and engage more employers who may eventually adopt the scheme if plans go ahead.

"We really challenged the law firms as we have the opportunity to do something special. If we get this right it can make such a big difference," commented Judge.

The second phase of the consultation, to create a curriculum and assessment process in line with current ILEX Professional Standards Limited and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), is underway.

The existing Chartered Institute of Legal Executives accreditethat helped the government develop new apprenticeship standards, as part of the Trailblazers Apprenticeship in Law initiative.d apprenticeship will continue in its current form, before being transitioned to the Trailblazer format in 2017.

Last month the SRA introduced a 'period of recognised training' as an alternative to training contracts, increasing the number of available routes to qualification as a solicitor.