The legal profession is evolving. Both law firms and their clients expect more than technical expertise; they want legal professionals who are confident communicators, understand business priorities and can build genuine relationships.
The O Shaped approach addresses this shift by developing well-rounded legal professionals who combine technical capability with essential human and business skills.
At Damar Training, we’ve embedded O Shaped learning into our Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship, helping apprentices develop the mindset and attributes that employers value and that clients need. Here we explore why the O Shaped approach matters, the practical benefits it delivers and how apprentices and employers experience its impact.
Why the O Shaped approach matters
Traditional legal education has focused heavily on technical knowledge. Whilst legal expertise remains essential, it’s no longer sufficient on its own. Legal professionals work in complex environments where they must navigate client relationships, collaborate across teams and adapt to change – all while contributing to business outcomes.
The O Shaped approach recognises this reality. Founded by Dan Kayne, O Shaped is a client-led movement working to make the legal profession better for those who are in it, those who use it and those who are entering it. It puts people first, developing legal professionals who are human-centred, emotionally intelligent and commercially aware.
For paralegal apprentices entering the profession, this matters enormously. They’re building the foundations of their careers at a time when the profession is changing. Developing O Shaped capabilities early alongside technical legal skills prepares them to thrive in modern legal workplaces and to deliver the service that clients increasingly expect.
The five Os: The O Shaped framework for professional development
The O Shaped approach is built around five core principles, known as the five Os, that shape how legal professionals think and work:
Openness encourages a growth mindset, helping apprentices remain receptive to new ideas, feedback and different perspectives. In practice, this means being willing to learn, adapting to change and reducing defensive attitudes.
Optimism fosters balanced, constructive thinking. Optimistic legal professionals identify solutions and opportunities whilst managing risk appropriately.
Opportunistic thinking helps apprentices recognise and create opportunities beyond traditional risk avoidance. This supports innovation, proactive problem-solving and commercial awareness.
Ownership develops accountability and initiative. Apprentices learn to take responsibility for their work, their development and their contribution to team and client outcomes.
Originality encourages creative thinking and fresh approaches. Legal professionals who think originally bring new ideas, challenge assumptions constructively and find better ways to serve clients.
The practical benefits of the O Shaped approach
These principles translate into practical capabilities that benefit everyone involved:
For apprentices, the O Shaped approach builds confidence, self-awareness and transferable skills. Apprentices develop communication skills that help them explain complex information clearly, empathy that strengthens client and colleague relationships and adaptability that prepares them for varied work and career progression.
For clients, O Shaped paralegals deliver a more responsive, human-centred service. They listen actively, understand context and priorities and communicate in accessible language. This improves client experience and strengthens trust.
For colleagues and teams, O Shaped professionals contribute more effectively. They collaborate well, use initiative, share knowledge and support positive team culture. Their emotional intelligence helps them navigate workplace relationships and contribute to a healthier working environment.
For employers, the approach develops capable, well-rounded professionals who add value beyond technical tasks. Employers benefit from apprentices who think commercially, solve problems proactively and can grow into roles with broader responsibility. The approach also supports diversity and inclusion by recognising that excellent legal professionals can develop through varied pathways and bring different strengths.
O Shaped and Damar Training
As specialists in legal apprenticeship training, Damar Training has long recognised that preparing individuals for the demands of the modern legal sector requires more than teaching technical law alone. In 2022, Damar partnered with O Shaped to offer the only Paralegal Apprenticeship that integrates O Shaped principles.
The collaboration originated from a shared vision between Damar Training and Dan Kayne, founder of O Shaped. While O Shaped initially gained traction across in-house legal teams and major law firms, both organisations recognised that meaningful cultural change happens when well-rounded habits are nurtured at the very beginning of a career.
Before rolling out the initiative across all new paralegal cohorts, Damar and O Shaped ran a comprehensive pilot programme across five law firms. The pilot tested how paralegal apprentices engaged with the core concepts and measured the tangible impact on workplace performance. The results were clear: apprentices demonstrated greater confidence and self-reflection, while supervising partners and line managers reported noticeable improvements in initiative, communication and commercial awareness. Following this success, O Shaped content was fully embedded throughout the apprenticeship journey.
How O Shaped learning works in practice
Apprentices engage with O Shaped principles through coaching and online learning designed specifically for their level and role. The programme helps apprentices and their managers identify, develop and apply O Shaped skills in the workplace.
Apprentices explore the five Os and understand how these principles connect to everyday work. They develop the twelve O Shaped attributes through structured learning and workplace application. These are:
Building relationships: Emotional intelligence, trust and influence, communication, collaboration
Creating value: Problem solving, identifying opportunities, synthesis, simplifying complexity
Being adaptable: Courage, feedback, resilience, continuous learning.
The programme measures O Shaped attributes at the start of the apprenticeship and tracks development over the course of the programme. This allows both employers and apprentices to recognise progress and understand the impact of their development.
Importantly, O Shaped learning isn’t separate from technical legal training, it’s integrated throughout. Apprentices learn to apply O Shaped thinking as they develop legal knowledge and workplace skills, creating well-rounded professionals from the beginning of their careers.
Supporting the whole person
The Damar Training and O Shaped partnership reflects a shared commitment to developing the whole person, not just technical capability. Apprentices build skills for life alongside their legal expertise.
The O Shaped approach is part of the wider structure of the Paralegal Apprenticeship that Damar Training offer, which also includes:
Resources and content delivered through specialist workshops and online resources accessible 24/7 by apprentices, carefully planned and sequenced to ensure apprentices can learn and apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours required
Pathway support and advice to help you identify the pathways that are right for your organisation and individuals – including contract law and civil litigation, family law and practice, wills and probate, and intellectual property
Specialist and qualified paralegal coaches who have hands-on legal experience providing one-to-one support alongside group coaching sessions and review meetings; SEND support is also available for those apprentices with additional learning needs
Time-proven processes which include support for navigating funding, seamless onboarding, regular check-in points for both supervisors and apprentices and dedicated account managers and coaches.
What apprentices and employers say
“Sutherland & Co Law considers the O Shaped content within the Paralegal Apprenticeship to provide significant added value by promoting the development of well-rounded practitioners with not only technical legal competence but also strong interpersonal, commercial, and client-awareness skills. This supports the effective integration of apprentices into the firm’s operations and enhances overall service provision.” – Teresa Barnett, HR and Marketing Manager, Sutherland & Co Law
“The O Shaped component helped me focus on the wider skills needed to be a good legal professional, not just the technical legal knowledge. It encouraged me to think about communication, empathy, collaboration and understanding different perspectives, which are all really important when working with clients and colleagues.” – Freya Aughton, Litigation Executive, Farleys Solicitors
“The content encouraged me to think more broadly about the impact of legal work and how to build stronger professional relationships. Overall, the O Shaped programme has supported my development into a more well-rounded legal professional, complementing the technical knowledge gained through the apprenticeship.” – Megan Chant, Apprentice Lawyer, nplaw
Preparing legal professionals for the future
The O Shaped lawyer approach represents a significant shift in how we develop legal professionals. By embedding these principles into apprenticeship training, we’re preparing paralegals for the realities of modern legal practice from day one.
This matters because the profession will continue to evolve. Technology, client expectations and working practices are changing rapidly. Legal professionals who are adaptable, commercially aware, emotionally intelligent and client-focused will be best positioned to thrive.
For paralegal apprentices, developing O Shaped capabilities early creates a strong foundation for long-term career success. These skills remain valuable throughout their careers – as a foundation to onward study such as the Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship or Solicitor Apprenticeship, to support shifts to specialising in particular practice areas, or for movement into leadership positions.
How could O Shaped benefit your paralegals?
If you’re an employer looking to develop capable, well-rounded legal professionals, Damar Training’s Paralegal Apprenticeship offers a proven pathway.
To discuss how apprenticeships can support your organisation’s talent development, contact our team today.