Clifford Chance has confirmed that it is taking on fewer trainees in London. And has written to its first seat trainees to say that it will no longer guarantee each of them an international seat.
Back in 2008/09, the firm took on 130 trainees a year. But as the impact of the credit crunch sank in, this was dropped to 120 and it has now been dropped again to 100. A spokesman said that the firm had to look at the number of NQ positions likely to be available further down the line, and in the current market it made sense to have fewer trainees and retain a greater proportion of them.
CC is not alone in cutting trainee numbers. Last year A&O announced that it would be reducing its trainee intake from a peak of 120 back in 2008 to just 90 in 2014: that's a 25% drop. Baker & McKenzie cut its London intake last year from 38 to 34. But then The College of Law still reckons that there will be greater demand for law school graduates in the future. Do the maths...
Of course there's still lots of work to be done, just by fewer trainees. The opportunity to be seconded to clients and do pro bono work will be hit, and Clifford Chance will no longer guarantee an overseas seat to its London trainees. First seaters were told that "there will be a decrease in the number of international seats available and therefore not every trainee who has applied for an international secondment will be allocated an international seat." Although a spokesman said that the number of overseas seats would be reduced in proportion to the declining number of trainees, so opportunities actually remain the same. A message that clearly hasn't been passed on to the irate trainees who've complained to RollOnFriday Towers.
And there's bad news too for fourth seat CC trainees about to qualify, as the firm has not been able to keep to its own qualification timetable by telling trainees of their fate by 14 December. The announcement has now been deferred until mid to late January, leaving March qualifiers who don't scoop an NQ position with just a few weeks to secure one somewhere else.
Tip Off ROF
Back in 2008/09, the firm took on 130 trainees a year. But as the impact of the credit crunch sank in, this was dropped to 120 and it has now been dropped again to 100. A spokesman said that the firm had to look at the number of NQ positions likely to be available further down the line, and in the current market it made sense to have fewer trainees and retain a greater proportion of them.
CC is not alone in cutting trainee numbers. Last year A&O announced that it would be reducing its trainee intake from a peak of 120 back in 2008 to just 90 in 2014: that's a 25% drop. Baker & McKenzie cut its London intake last year from 38 to 34. But then The College of Law still reckons that there will be greater demand for law school graduates in the future. Do the maths...
Of course there's still lots of work to be done, just by fewer trainees. The opportunity to be seconded to clients and do pro bono work will be hit, and Clifford Chance will no longer guarantee an overseas seat to its London trainees. First seaters were told that "there will be a decrease in the number of international seats available and therefore not every trainee who has applied for an international secondment will be allocated an international seat." Although a spokesman said that the number of overseas seats would be reduced in proportion to the declining number of trainees, so opportunities actually remain the same. A message that clearly hasn't been passed on to the irate trainees who've complained to RollOnFriday Towers.
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Clifford Chance yesterday |
And there's bad news too for fourth seat CC trainees about to qualify, as the firm has not been able to keep to its own qualification timetable by telling trainees of their fate by 14 December. The announcement has now been deferred until mid to late January, leaving March qualifiers who don't scoop an NQ position with just a few weeks to secure one somewhere else.