Almost a third of trainee lawyers at elite Magic Circle law firms As readers will of course know, the magic circle comprises Linklaters, Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance and Freshfields. The range of universities feeding the market grew by 14% in three years. We don't describe ourselves as a Magic Circle firm in any of our marketing material. LPC? Durham is the best out of your choices, but all will be fine, all are Russell Group and are visited by the magic circle firms. The order of universities changes depending on the market and region of the UK. Oxbridge, Durham and LSE dominate the US/Magic circle so that's hardly a surprise but Bristol, Exeter, UCL and Warwick also put up a good show. From Jamaica to Australia, from Brazil to Ukraine: our interviewees in this category came from all over the world. Recruiters will overlook you in favour of those who've been on it and performed well no matter what university they've attended. Any universities missing didn't produce strong enough data. A breeze from overseasThe fortunes of overseas undergrads in our survey is interesting, in particular how they beat every UK university in the salaries table. Top UK law firms | Prospects.ac.uk [3], In 2004, Slaughter and May's then senior partner, Tim Clark, said: "It's a funny concept. With the exception of Slaughter and May, which closed its New York base in 2004 and eschews international offices beyond its Brussels, Beijing and Hong Kong locations, all four remaining Magic Circle firms are rapidly emerging as major competitors in the US, each boasting an increasing number of elite, Chambers-ranked attorneys across a diverse range of practice areas. So dont fret if youre at a uni outside the RG there were fewer training contract applicants. [12], UK law firms, including Magic Circle law firms, have experienced increased competition from US law firms both domestically (from US law firms with a UK presence) and internationally.[16][17][18]. And by the way, just 1.8% of the UKs student population of 2,266,075 study at the universities of Oxford or Cambridge. Thankfully many of the most elite firms are focusing much energy on addressing this bias, with programmes like contextual recruiting, and unconscious bias and diversity training. At these firms, we spoke to graduates of58 universities. how they beat every UK university in the salaries table, To find out about qualifying as a lawyer from overseas, read on>>. Law firms' preferred universities - Chambers Student Guide The term was coined in the 1990s by The Lawyer magazine and is based on the quintets close relationship with the Citys leading banks and stranglehold on the best corporate finance work. Clifford Chance, headquartered in London, is one of the world's largest law firms, both by size and revenue. No surprises here. Could someone read this and share their thoughts and corrections? GCSE AQA LIT. Law firms Next: How to choose your perfect law firm >>. What's more, such large law firms usually give their employees a narrower remit - meaning that they suit those who are certain of their preferred specialism. Sal Francis Morton, senior research analyst at Chambers Student Guide, said: Law firms lock their gaze on graduates from these prestigious universities, knowing they dont have to look far for the brightest and most driven candidates. The trope explained above that in the eyes of the more prestige-obsessed graduate, London is the be-all and end-all is visible here. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our. Visit the guide page below for more information. GCSE AQA LIT. How likely is a UK property market crash and what IS happening with house prices? This year also saw Allen & Overy overtake Clifford Chance in the number of rankings the firm itself holds, aided in part through the expansion of the USA Guide's Capital Markets and Projects rankings in the 2021 edition of the USA Guide. There are grads from Oxbridge, Durham, Nottingham, Brum, Cardiff, Bristol, Leeds, UCL, LSE, Kings, Sheffield, York, Newcastle, Exeter and tons more from different universities within the UK working at top law firms. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. Hi all, After doing some research on the percentage of students from different universities at. Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of important bonus updates, so when . [8][9][10][11], Among the large firms not included in the term are Herbert Smith Freehills; Hogan Lovells; Norton Rose Fulbright; and Stephenson Harwood, which are less profitable. "[1], In 2013, The Lawyer argued that Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May should no longer form part of the Magic Circle. Just take a look at our table below: What do they look for in Allen & Overy training contract candidates? The cookie is set by embedded Microsoft scripts. US is pretty obvious except in cases where there was a transatlantic merger; wed still consider Hogan Lovells, NRF and BCLP City firms because of their strong London origins. Is it even worth me applying to magic circle law firms, Scared about job prospects at Leicester uni. It merged with Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Lober and Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund in 2000; Relevant experience in one or more of their practice areas. Read more: Freshfields increases partner pay to 1.84m. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors. What universities do Magic Circle Firms recruit from? It's mainly something that comes up when we talk to journalists or they talk to us. These results mostly relate to the larger commercial firms that take part in our guide. Below is a chart of the top 20 most common universities that cropped up in our research over the past nine years. What's more, non-Russell Group trainees popped up in all of our categories. There are also a number of options now available at some firms which do not follow the traditional training contract route. NQuids inThe university you attend does determine your employability and earning power, but prestige isnt everything, as a glance at this table below will show. So we cant conclude that the law firms have hired from a more diverse range of universities: whatever progress has happened beyond the Russell Group, its not significant. [19] Similarly, in 2014, Linklaters then managing partner, Simon Davies, said "The Magic Circle isnt what it used to be in the context of the US market or any market. All of the 'Magic Circle' law firms and barristers' chambers specialise primarily in corporate law. This cookie is set by linkedIn. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. If you have a look at the Law section there are several official lists based on reputation, partnership prospects, relationship success and salary expectations compiled by experts with their fingers on the pulse of the MC. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB, Taking a break or withdrawing from your course, http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/where-to-start/newsletter/law-firms-preferred-universities, http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/media/1067/what_is_a_good_university.pdf. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form. Official: Aston University A100 2023 Entry Applicant and Offer Holder thread, Close to a thousand experts unite behind statement that rejects zealotry of plant-b, Official University of the Arts London 2023 Applicants Thread, Official King's College London 2023 Applicants Thread, Official Oxford 2023 Postgraduate Applicants Thread, will university find out in future if someone uses CHATGPT, Parents are upset I've not found a bf and had a baby yet at 19. We also found that London attracted the highest proportion of overseas graduates. Less established US firms concentrate their recruitment efforts on the 'top' universities in order to increase their prestige and position in the London market. Each trainee told us where they completed their undergraduate degrees. At national firms those with various offices throughout the UK a clear winner emerged: Manchester took centre stage, leaving Durham some way behind. What Are the Magic Circle Law Firms? | The Lawyer Portal But even these firms do not specify a particular university. In each of the regions, the local Russell Group universities often came out on top. This will skew the results in favour of the larger institutions. If you're currently studying at a Russell Group university, bear in mind what we've just mentioned above. (Flip to the next page to read the full memo from Linklaters.) ORW. Top unis=Top law firms? : r/6thForm - Reddit Since employability is a factor in a universitys status and funding, this is a convenient relationship for both the firms and the universities, so its hard to break. At some of the biggest and most prestigious firms in London seemingly the preserve of the university elite we encountered trainees with degrees from non-traditional institutions like Brunel, Keele and Hertfordshire. Overseas students were the top earners, according to the research, with an average newly qualified salary of 88,384. It shows that a whopping 44% of partners at firms in the magic and silver circle attended Oxbridge, while 34% went to one of the 22 other Russell Group universities, and 22% graduated from a non-Russell Group uni. Its encouraging, but as we can see from nine years of tracking this data, progress is happening slowly. Away from the capital, the configuration shifted again. Although Russell Group candidates currently dominate the universities which lawyers at Magic Circle firms recruit from, you do not need to attend one of these universities to secure a position at a Magic Circle Firm. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. Pay at the top US firms can outstrip the Magic Circle with leading firms such as Kirkland & Ellis and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy paying first-year lawyers up to $190,000 (151,000). You can accept or reject cookies which are not essential for the site to work by clicking on the Cookie settings below. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Used by Microsoft as a unique identifier. Used by Microsoft Advertising as a unique ID for visitors. Regardless of which university you're at, concentrate on trying to tick all of the boxes. Read our comprehensive guide on Training Contracts. 80 universities were mentioned by non-City trainees compared to just 67 mentioned by their City counterparts. All legal teams work best with the variety of perspectives both groups bring. . Read one of our most popular free guides - Magic Circle Law Firms: The Ultimate Guide - here! Best universities for magic circle law firms - The Student Room That said, some US firms are more comfortably positioned here, so they hire less aggressively and are less closed off to students outside of the Russell Group: our trainee interviewees in this category had attended universities such as Kingston, Leeds Beckett*, Aberystwyth and Bangor. In 1920, Linklater & Co merged with Paines Plythe & Huxtable, a firm that had been founded by a descendent of one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Paine. In nine years, law firms appetite for Oxbridge and Russell Group students has remained pretty much constant. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". London-centric, sky-high PEP, top-tier work, an aura of prestige: Slaughter and May is far more like Macfarlanes than the Magic Circle quartet it is commonly lumped in with. Over three years, we have interviewed roughly 20% of all trainees in England and Wales. Over the nine years, Oxford and Cambridge dominate training contract recruitment with some consistency, followed by Durham, Bristol and Nottingham. But read on and the analysis by recruiter Laurence Simons of 1,147 senior lawyers LinkedIn profiles reveals that some Russell Group universities produce massively more leading City firm partners than others. The sudden jump in numbers between 2015 and 2016 may be due to sponsored work visas being given changes that made it easier for businesses to take on international juniors. As an aspiring solicitor, its likely that youll need to study a course with a leading law school in the not-too-distant future. The link between prestigious institutions and prestigious careers is difficult to challenge. But the highest salaries in the business and top-notch commercial work also demand stamina and an appetite for long hours and hard work, more than any other city. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This might reassure the non-law grads that theyre not starting their careers on the back foot, and should certainly encourage wavering GDL applicants. Who has been hit hardest by 21bn of pandemic fraud, and will the taxpayer EVER get it back? Between 2013 and 2015 we interviewed over 2,300 trainees for our True Picture reviews. Sign up for our newsletter to boost your commercial awareness. As firms recruit on a case to case basis, and are keen to make entering law as accessible as possible, the . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. For most firms, a 2:1 is the standard academic expectation, but neither the degree title or the university you obtain the degree from is specified. Kings - English law and French law degree, Law Applicants 2023 entry - discussion thread, HKU-UCL, KCL-CUHK, Exeter-CUHK Law interviews, Cambridge Sixth Form Law Conference 2023 (CSFLC). Subscribe to the City A.M. newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Key differences between Magic Circle Law firms - Bright Network The latter two are the only universities outside of England to rank at all. The biggest percentage jump was claimed by the non-Russell bunch: together they now accounted for almost a quarter of the trainees. warwick and US/MAGIC CIRCLE FIRMS : 6thForm - Reddit Quiz, 12 Pro Interview Tips from a Magic Circle Partner, Clifford Chance Interview: From Trainee to Associate, Freshfields training contract recruiter interview, Why You Should Choose a Regional Office Training Contract, Five days of paid work experience to SPARK your law career, Interview with a STEM Trainee Associate at Herbert Smith Freehills, Students currently in their penultimate year of study, finalists and graduates of all degree disciplines, 2021/2022/2023 (March & September intakes), Penultimate or final year students; graduates, 1987, by merger of Clifford Turner and Coward Chance, 8000 (London), 7000 (outside of London), Weeks commencing 13 January and 27 January 2020, You can only apply for SPARK if you are in your first year or the second year of a four year course, Penultimate and final year law students; law graduates; GDL graduates, Winter Training Contract (Law and Non-Law), Final year law students; law graduates; final year non-law students; non-law graduates, 8000 (in London), 7000 (outside of London), Penultimate and final year law or non-law students; law or non-law graduates; law or non-law postgraduates, 1889, by William Capel Slaughter and William May, BPP University, London Waterloo + GDL Extra Programme, Law students in the penultimate year of their undergraduate degree and law students in the second year of a four year course who will be going abroad in their third year. The purpose of the cookie is to enable LinkedIn functionalities on the page. Make sure you've been consistently on track for that 2:1 (minimum); get yourself some relevant work experience, ideally at a firm; keep yourself abreast of what's happening in the wider world and how that may affect the industry; and build up your interpersonal charm those vital soft skills that are required in order to build rapport with clients and generate business. Chambers Student, the students companion to the legal profession, gives the truth about law firms and the Bar. The West Coast office launches, which mark the first venture into California by a member of the Magic Circle since Clifford Chance shuttered its 5-year old offices in 2007, reversed a recent trend in the London market, where expansive US-headquartered firms would frequently staff their own offices from among the partner ranks of elite UK firms. This cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites. Freshfields and Allen & Overy now boast similar numbers of ranked partners to Clifford Chance, whose historic focus on the US market, including its merger with New York-based Rogers & Wells in 2000, had seen it edge ahead of its compatriots in the Magic Circle. The term was coined by legal reporters in the 1990s[1] and is generally considered to include the following five law firms: Allen & Overy; Clifford Chance; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Linklaters; and Slaughter and May. You'll notice that the Midlands and Northern-based Russell Group universities did particularly well here. These are the Magic Circle law firms: Allen & Overy. 'You should be on track for, or have obtained, a 2:1 degree minimum.' . Instead this is simply the raw data broken down. The London-based global firm secured a role in 2020 on drugmaker AstraZeneca's $39bn acquisition of US pharma group Alexion Pharma, one of the biggest deals of the year. This group fragmented at the beginning of the 2000s, and now comprises the five that now make up the Magic Circle, a term coined by legal journalists. I don't know where the term came from or who founded it. It argued that Clifford Chances profitability does not match the other Magic Circle firms, and that Slaughter and May operates a different (UK-focused) model, with revenue less than half of the other Magic Circle firms. We then combined this with our data all the way back to 2010, when most of the current Chambers Student research team were still gamboling about the school field in PE kit (kidding, were more the library type). But that doesn't mean, say, an Imperial chemistry graduate would be less likely to get a training contract than a Nottingham geography graduate. Since our last report in 2016, we've interviewed 2,500 trainees. Increase your chances of success at an assessment centre. Oxford supplied the most trainee lawyers in 2016-18, with Cambridge in second place, followed by Bristol, Durham, Nottingham, Exeter and Warwick. The other vital ingredient is to make good decisions at every stage, and that where we come in: use our guidance and market intelligence to help you understand where youd find your niche in this giant profession. For instance, Freshfields and Allen & Overy now enjoy local rankings in California, a fiercely contested market traditionally dominated by homegrown firms. In all, 83 UK universities were represented in our sample an encouraging 14% increase on the total in ourprevious 2012 report, signalling attempts to attract more diverse candidates. Find more on our methodology, plus a few disclaimers at the bottom of this page. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The grades you have achieved and your overall academic standard is more important than the university you attend. To help you make an informed decision, wed like to put you in touch with our partner law schools. Organisations are beginning to recognise that talent is found everywhere not just in the most prestigious universities, which struggle themselves with a bias towards the privileged. Oxford and Cambridge feature considerably lower outside London. With clients across five continents, Clifford Chance is a 'magic circle' firm with a formidable reputation. This cookie is to identify the source of a visit and store user action information about it in a cookies. Here's why", "The silver circle - Chambers Student Guide", "Ashurst, Herbies ride out tough year; BLP, Macfarlanes, SJ Berwin succumb", "Can the magic circle ward off the challenge of the US firms? magic circle law firms, I was surprised to see LSE placed quite low. To work in a Silver/Magic Circle law firm, do you need to have - Quora For example, Manchester and Nottinghams undergrad enrolments are over three times the size of St Andrews. Prestigious law firms lock their gaze on graduates from these prestigious universities, knowing they dont have to look far for the brightest and most driven candidates. Choosing a University Other Things to Consider. Also, at the time the term was coined, the corporate practice at Herbert Smith (as it was known pre-merger) was focused on privatisation work, which had dried up. In this portion of the London market, we began to see a little more variety: fewer Oxbridge graduates, more from the remaining Russell Group members and a stronger showing from other UK universities. [1] The members of the Club of Nine had an informal "no-poaching" agreement and the firm's senior partners would meet. The term was coined by The Lawyer magazine in 2005 in response to the pre-existing term, Magic Circle. If youre an aspiring solicitor, youve almost certainly heard of the Magic Circle law firms. They will be in touch with you soon! We found that universities like Northumbria, Kent, Reading, UEA and UWE played a much greater role in supplying trainees to national and regional firms. Clifford Chance. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The figures were compiled by the Chambers Student Guide from interviews with 2,500 trainee lawyers over the last three years. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [1], In contrast to the Club of Nine, the Magic Circle is no informal grouping of law firms. They can give you all the details you need about course fees, funding options and more. Nearly one in four of our London interviewees had an Oxbridge degree. 5 Types of City Law Firms You Need to Know | The Lawyer Portal Sign up to our regular updates! What happens if i dont get my A-level predicted grades for Rice University? The lesser-used silver circle tag which has arguably been rendered almost meaningless by the multiple mergers of the last few years as a host of global megafirms have been created includes Herbert Smith Freehills, Ashurst, Berwin Leighton Paisner, King & Wood Mallesons, Macfarlanes and Travers Smith.