The Magic Circle refers to five prestigious and multinational London-headquartered law firms. They are Allen & Overy; Clifford Chance; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Linklaters; and Slaughter and May.
Most UK training contracts Orrick. Fried Frank. King & Spalding. Payne Hicks Beach. Wiggin. Haynes and Boone. Katten. Winston & Strawn.
Most UK training contracts Orrick. Fried Frank. King & Spalding. Payne Hicks Beach. Wiggin. Haynes and Boone. Katten. Winston & Strawn.
Length of a period of recognised training If a trainee works for less than 32 hours during a week we would consider this a part time period of recognised training and the trainee will be expected to complete more than the minimum two year requirement.
Depending on the firm and area of law, applications can be extremely competitive. There's about a 18.63% success rate to get a training contract per year (30k candidates, 5500 places). Bear that in mind.
Most law firms recruit trainees up to two years in advance, so it's important to plan ahead. As an international student, you would require visa sponsorship from your Training Contract provider.
It involves dedication, years of study and work experience, and ongoing professional development. It's a highly respected profession and requires a varied skillset, from working alongside clients, public speaking, research and analytical skills to planning legal strategies and more.
The traditional route is to get a law degree or a related degree, take the LPC – by 2032, the LPC will be completely phased out – and the SQE if you have a non-law degree. After the SQE you'll need to get a TC at a law firm, preferably one with a strong showing in contract law.