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 Where Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May have been reported to have rescinded training contract offers from future trainees who have failed SQE1 on their first attempt, Freshfields Bruckhaus […]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 […]
Allen & Overy has kept 30 of its 39 qualifying trainees in newly-qualified (NQ) roles. The firm said that 36 trainees applied to qualify, with the firm making offers to 33 of them. Of those, 30 accepted a position at A&O, giving the firm a retention score of 77 per cent. None are on fixed-term […]
DWF Belfast is offering half of its 2024 training contracts to those coming through the SQE route as part of its latest recruitment strategy. On top of plans to increase the number of slots on offer from nine to 12, the new policy aims to take on six aspiring lawyers from what DWF Belfast managing […]
As Axiom Ince finally collapses, The Lawyer can reveal that barely any of the current or future trainees have found new homes – and the future trainees have missed their deadline to begin their studies at BPP. The Lawyer understands that two individuals have been able to transfer their current training contracts to Stephenson Harwood […]