Top UK law firms reduce graduate recruitment by 11%

Leading UK law firms are scaling back their trainee programs in response to lacklustre financial results, and Legal Week suggests that graduate recruitment in the top 20 UK firms will shrink by 11 per cent between 2008-09 and 2013-14. The research suggests that Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith and Eversheds making the biggest reductions, with Eversheds reducing its graduate intake by 38% between 2008-09 and 2012-14, while Herbert Smith and A&O will see respective reductions of 25% and 21%, and Linklaters' target recruitment figures show a drop of 15%. One of the few firms to go against the trend (without a merger) is Irwin Mitchell, whose graduate hiring increased by 46 per cent since 2008-09.

Top UK law firms reduce graduate recruitment by 11% legalweek.com Fri, Sep 7, 2012