Increase on both firm’s pre-merger offerings Magic Circle mega-firm A&O Shearman is offering £20,000 in financial support to future trainees as they undertake the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). This equates to an increase of £3,000 compared to the £17,000 previously provided to trainees by both firms before the merger, which completed on 1 May. The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2024 shows maintenance grants at leading City law firms typically sit between £20,000 and £12,000, although some firms offer much less. The SQE Hub: Your ultimate resource for all things SQE Trainees ..read more

Agrees to be struck off An ex-partner at Slater & Gordon who strung along a client for 17 years with false statements about the progress of their case has been struck off in an agreement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Nicholas Giles Collins first took on the client in 2004 when he was an associate at Russell Jones & Walker. He continued to represent the client after Russell Jones & Walker was acquired by Slater & Gordon until 2021, at which time the now partner resigned during an internal investigation into his actions. Collins was instructed on a personal in ..read more

SRA training chief, eduction and graduate recruitment experts, future trainees and more Clockwise from top left: Peter Arnold, Head of emerging talent (UK & International) at CMS; Ellen Swarbrick, Trainee solicitor at Vinson & Elkins; Julie Swan, Director of education and training at Solicitors Regulation Authority; Bethany Taylor, Associate at Eversheds Sutherland through the solicitor apprenticeship route; Emma Lilley, Head of legal UK&I at SD Worx and founder of ‘In-house Potter’; Jay Heer, Future trainee solicitor at Simmons & Simmons and founder of JaysLawLife; Robert Dud ..read more

Left Harvester restaurant without paying A criminal solicitor has been struck off after dining and dashing on multiple occasions. Kerry Ann Stevens was found by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to have failed to pay for food on two occasions between February 2020 and January 2021. The first incident occurred in a Harvester restaurant, where the former solicitor racked up a bill of £60.91 before leaving without paying. Almost a year later, she claimed to have paid for £43.47 of takeaway food that was delivered to her, when she had not in fact done so. The 2024 Legal Cheek Firms ..read more

Is there another pay war on the horizon? Freshfields has jumped to the top of Magic Circle pay table with a new and improved rate of £150,000 for its newly qualified lawyers. The Anglo-German giant confirmed today that NQ salaries increased from £125,000 to £150,000 on May 1. That’s an uplift of £25,000 or 20%. The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2024 shows its MC rivals — A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Linklaters and Slaughter and May — all dish out £125,000. The 2024 Legal Cheek Firms Most List Freshfields’ trainees have also been handed sizeable increases. First year salaries have mo ..read more

Courtesy of 11KBW A City Law School graduate has secured a major scholarship to help fund his dream of becoming a barrister. Jaizzail Ofori has become latest recipient of the 11KBW Scholarship for black students on the bar course, securing £30,000 towards tuition fees and maintenance, accompanied by mentoring from members at the set, as well as a guaranteed assessed mini-pupillage. Successful applicants are required to demonstrate both the capability to thrive at the bar and evidence of accomplishments, along with a clear intention and ability to practice within the civil or commercial bar ..read more

Weekly round-up of the top legal blogosphere posts Can criminals be judges? [The Critic] Cyberflashing is now a criminal offence – but the normalisation of this behaviour among young people needs to change [The Conversation] Judges support open justice [A Lawyer Writes] AI and the rise of ‘music laundering’ [Legal Cheek Journal] Nearly 3,000 people are languishing in jail unfairly. We must set them free [The Guardian] Oscar Law: A Cross-Cutting Survey of Law Governing the Cottage Industry of Elite Entertainment Awards [Oxford Business Law Blog] In standing up for Gaza, US students have expos ..read more

Profession gears up to celebrate achievements of firms, chambers and students As anticipation mounts within the legal profession for The Legal Cheek Awards 2024 later this month, we are excited to finally unveil the longlisted firms, chambers, and students in the running for gongs this year. The Awards are based on the results of our annual Trainee and Junior Lawyer and Barrister surveys, which collectively garners nearly 3,000 responses, enabling us to grade law firms and chambers across range of including training, quality of work, perks and work-life balance. As in previous years, there a ..read more

Three on fixed-term deals Hogan Lovells has released its spring 2024 retention figures, revealing that 20 of its 22 newly qualified (NQ) trainees have chosen to remain with the firm. With three NQs placed on fixed-term contracts, this gives the firm a score of 91% or 77%, depending on you reading of the numbers. Six juniors have joined the litigation, arbitration, and employment; five have joined the global regulatory team; three have qualified into corporate; another three have joined finance; two have qualified into IP, media, and technology; and one has joined the firm’s international tea ..read more

LSB writes to Lord Chancellor and tech minister The legal profession’s super regulator, the Legal Services Board (LSB), is planning to review its guidance on AI training for lawyers, a newly published letter reveals. The letter, authored by Richard Orpin, interim chief executive of the LSB, is directed to Technology Minister Michell Donelan MP and Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk MP, in response to a request from the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. “We recognise the increasingly important role that technology, including AI, plays in society and its potential to improve the dive ..read more