Editors' Blog

A reader query about trainees

Posted 23/02/2007 by Deal Comment

One legalweek.com reader this week posted a comment querying the veracity of a recent story regarding the retention rate of trainees.

The piece in question stated that a large number of City law firms are to offer jobs to over 90% of their trainee intake set to reach qualification in March. The figures suggest a broad pattern in that M&A-driven firms had the highest rates, with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Slaughter and May all retaining more than 96% of their trainees.

Still, the inner magic circle has nothing on Macfarlanes, which is set to take on 100% of its qualifying trainees. Larger City firms also had generally higher retention rates than national and mid-tier practices.

Well, to answer the question, the stats do indeed represent the on-the-record figures given by the firms for jobs offered and accepted by trainees. We also have no reason to believe that the numbers are not accurate.

That said, any reader with information about a firm that may be massaging its retention figures can, of course, confidentially post us their comments on a relevant Talkback or the email address below and we will check it out.

alex.novarese@legalweek.com