Pinsent Masons is the latest firm preparing to increase its newly-qualified (NQ) solicitor salary from September, with a 5 per cent rise in London. The move means that NQs in the London office will receive a salary of £97,000 upon qualification, up 5.4 per cent from the current £92,000 rate. Regional rates will also go […]
Clifford Chance has increased its newly-qualified salary, meaning Allen & Overy Shearman is now the only one of its peer group not to hike pay to £150,000. The £25,000 increase to £150,000 comes less than four weeks after Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s decision to increase pay and 12 days after Linklaters. The Lawyer understands that the […]
Linklaters has increased its newly-qualified lawyer salary by £25,000, a fortnight after Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer did the same. The firm has increased its NQ pay from £125,000 to £150,000. Alongside this, trainee salaries have risen by £6,000 across both years to £56,000 and £61,000. Solicitor apprentice pay is now £28,000, growing from £25,000. The firm […]
Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) is continuing its innovation strategy rollout with the introduction of a new programme for its trainee solicitors. Following the launch of its ‘advanced client solutions’ (ACS) team in early April, the firm has now brought in Russell Up, a scheme designed to have each trainee deliver four innovation projects throughout their two-year training […]
Frustrated Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) candidates are calling on the SRA to increase accessibility to the appeals process after a results error saw 175 candidates mistakenly told they had failed their exams. On Monday last week, the SRA announced that 175 candidates who sat SQE1 in January and were told they had failed on 14 […]
The Lawyer‘s Christian Smith, Catrin Griffiths, Richard Simmons, Katy Dowell and Charlotte Lear are joined by College of Legal Practice CEO Giles Proctor for this emergency episode of The Lawyer Podcast as they discuss the latest Solicitors Qualification Exam debacle: marking errors that led to 175 students being incorrectly told they had failed. What went […]
As pass rates for the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) stagnate at a 52 per cent average for 2022/23, City firm recruiters and early careers leaders are voicing concerns about their future pipeline planning. Certainly, a consistent pass rate confirms the goals of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to create what it […]
Controversy surrounding rescinding training contract offers from future trainees after they fail the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) on their first try has divided elite City firms. Where Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May have been reported to have rescinded training contract offers from future trainees who have failed SQE1 on their first attempt, Freshfields Bruckhaus […]
The new episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now! Grabbing the attention of aspiring solicitors and spectators alike, criticism of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination has torn through the media over the weeks following the most recent set of results. From City firms dropping training contracts from offer holders after failing on their first attempt, […]
Trowers & Hamlins has become the latest firm to offer an innovation seat to its trainees as a part of its training contract. From the beginning of April, trainees at Trowers will have the option to sit in the innovation team and develop their competency in legal tech. Trowers’ training contract is divided into four […]
Slaughter and May has retained 35 of its 37 final-seat trainees, giving it a retention rate of 94.6 per cent. It puts the firm behind only Herbert Smith Freehills in terms of the spring trainee retention round. After Slaughters, Freshfields is the best performing magic circle firm, with 84 per cent retention. Spring 2024 retention […]
Clifford Chance will retain 40 of its 56 final-seat trainees in newly-qualified (NQ) roles this spring, giving it trainee retention of 71 per cent. While 52 trainees applied for roles only 44 were offered positions, with 40 accepting, hinting at a situation where not enough jobs in favoured departments were on offer, although the firm […]