Freshfields shifts application deadline for non-law grads

Following a further jump in applications the magic circle firm has set the deadline for receiving applications from final year non-law students for training contracts starting in 2013 to 3 May. This is slighter earlier than last year when Freshfields set the deadline of 31 May 2010 (read story).

The firm’s head of trainee recruitment Elizabeth Cope said: “We’ve already received some very strong applications for our 2013 training contracts from non-law students and we want to ensure we maintain a good mix of non-law and law students in our intakes.”

Freshfields, which is the first major law firm to bring its training contract application deadline forward in the current recruitment round, does not operate a quota system for trainees who have convert to law from other degree disciplines.

Last year Slaughter and May took the radical step of discontinuing its rolling application process for would-be trainee solicitors to bring it in line with its rivals’ (read more). But it is understood that the top five City law firm currently has no plans to shift its application deadline for non-law students.

Freshfields will be accepting training contract applications from penultimate year law students until the end of July.