If you’re an aspiring solicitor, you’ve almost certainly heard of the Magic Circle law firms.
But who are the Magic Circle law firms? What sets them apart from other firms? And how can you get to work for them? You can find all of the answers to these questions using our free guide – start reading below!
What are the Magic Circle Law Firms?
These are the Magic Circle law firms:
- Allen & Overy
- Clifford Chance
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
- Linklaters
- Slaughter and May
They are the five UK-based firms considered to be amongst the most prestigious in the world.
Their elite status in a competitive industry comes from various factors, including their client base, their revenue per lawyer, their revenue per partner and the number of lawyers they have working for them.
With this intriguing, informal nickname comes an increasingly high reputation; described by The Guardian writer Laura Paddison, they’re the firms that promise “top graduates a glittering name on their CV, A-list corporate clients and excellent training”.
Although a rather old-fashioned term, the phrase ‘the Magic Circle’ has only been used since the late 1990s; before then, the prestigious law firms were called the “Club of Nine”, and included Lovells (now Hogan Lovells), Norton Rose (now Norton Rose Fulbright), Herbert Smith (now Herbert Smith Freehills) and Stephenson Harwood.
This group fragmented at the beginning of the 2000s, and now comprises the five that now make up the “Magic Circle”, a term coined by legal journalists.
Want a more specific insight into each of these firms? Read one of these interviews with Magic Circle employees!
- Allen & Overy: Internship Insight
- Clifford Chance: Training Contract Tips
- Freshfields Applications: Top Tips
- Freshfields: Work Shadowing Placement
- Freshfields Trainee: Top Tips
- Freshfields Graduate Recruitment: Law Training Contracts
- Linklaters: Training Contract Tips
You’ve heard of the Magic Circle, but did you know that there’s also a Silver Circle? Find out about the prestigious firms that make up this elite group below
Who are the Silver Circle Law Firms?
Average Magic Circle Law Firms Salary
Wondering what the salary is like for a Magic Circle trainee? Or a Magic Circle partner salary? Just take a look at our table below:
| Law Firm | First Year Trainee | Second Year Trainee | Newly Qualified Lawyer | Equity Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen & Overy | £44,000 | £49,000 | £100,000 (including bonus) | Between £1.6m -£1.7m |
| Clifford Chance | £44,800 | £50,500 | £100,000 (including bonus) | Between £1.6m -£1.7m |
| Freshfields | £43,000 | £48,000 | £100,000 (excluding bonus) | £1.8m |
| Linklaters | £42,000 | £49,000 | £100,000 (including bonus) | £1.7m |
| Slaughter and May | £43,000 | £48,000 | £92,000 (excluding bonus) | £1.8m |
Who are the Magic Circle Law Firms?
Allen & Overy
| Founded: | 1930, by George Allen and Thomas Overy |
| Based: | Bishops Square, London E1 |
| Senior Partner: | Wim Dejonghe |
| Managing Partner: | Andrew Ballheimer |
| Approx. number of partners: | 554 |
| Approx. number of lawyers: | 2800 |
| Number of offices: | 44 |
| Number of countries with offices: | 31 |
| Revenue: | £1.52 billion |
| Number of trainees per year: | 90 seats |
| Retention rate of trainees: | 85% |
| Number of vacation schemes: | 60 |
| Specified GDL provider: | BPP Law School |
| GDL funding: | £8000 |
| Specified LPC/LLM provider: | BPP Law School |
| LPC/LLM funding: | £7000 |
Defining moments:
- Advised on the first hostile takeover in the City of London;
- Arranged the first Eurobond in the 1960s;
- Introduced one of the first schemes to allow full equity partners to work part-time;
- First global law firm to open an office in Morocco;
- The only law firm to be named the most innovative in Europe by the Financial Times 3 times.
What do they look for in Allen & Overy training contract candidates?
- A commitment to a career in international commercial law;
- A commitment to and clear articulation of why you want to work at Allen & Overy;
- Commercial awareness of both the law and business;
- Team-working skills;
- Communication skills;
- Planning and organisation skills;
- Drive and motivation to succeed.
Allen & Overy Expert Insights:
Allen & Overy Application Timeline:
| Opportunity | For | Opens | Closes | Scheme runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training contract | Students currently in their penultimate year of study, finalists and graduates of all degree disciplines | 1 August 2019 | 22 December 2019 | 2021/2022/2023 (March & September intakes) |
| Summer Vacation Scheme | Penultimate or final year students; graduates | 1 September 2019 | 1st January 2020 (HK and UK applicants 1st March (AU based applicants) | Summer 2020 |
Is Allen & Overy the law firm for you? Take our new Which Magic Circle Law Firm is Right For Me? Quiz now!
Take the quiz!
Clifford Chance
| Founded: | 1987, by merger of Clifford Turner and Coward Chance |
| Based: | Upper Bank Street, London E14 |
| Senior Partner: | Malcolm Sweeting |
| Managing Partner: | Matthew Layton |
| Approx. number of partners: | 570 |
| Approx. number of lawyers: | 3300 |
| Number of offices: | 36 |
| Number of countries with offices: | 26 |
| Revenue: | £1.54 billion |
| Number of trainees per year: | 80 seats |
| Retention rate of trainees: | 81% |
| GDL funding: | £8000 (London), £7000 (outside of London) |
| Specified GDL provider: | BPP University, any branch |
| LLM CLP funding: | £10,000 |
| Specified LLM CLP provider: | BPP University, Holborn |
Defining moments:
- Clifford Turner advised on the creation of John Lewis Partnership in 1929;
- Became the first major non-US firm to practice US law;
- In 2000, became the world’s first global law firm with the tripartite merger with Germany’s Punder Volhard Weber & Axter and New York’s Rogers & Wells.
What do they look for in Clifford Chance training contract candidates?
- Genuine interest and a motivation towards a career in commercial law;
- Attention to detail.
Clifford Chance Expert Insights:
Clifford Chance Application Timeline:
| Opportunity | For | Opens | Closes | Assessment Centres | Scheme runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Vacation Scheme | Penultimate year students, any degree | 1 August 2019 | 12 December 2019 | Week commencing 20 January 2020 | 29 June - 10 July 2020 |
| Training Contract | 1 August 2019 | 12 December 2019 | Week commencing 6 January 2020 | For 2022 | |
| IGNITE Training Contract | 1 August 2019 | 12 December 2019 | Weeks commencing 13 January and 27 January 2020 | For 2022 | |
| SPARK | You can only apply for SPARK if you are in your first year or the second year of a four year course | 1 August 2019 | 12 December 2019 | Week commencing 27 January 2020 | Scheme one: 22-26 June 2020 Scheme two: 13-17 July 2020 |
| PRIME London | 1 August 2019 1 August 2019 | 22 March 2020 12 July 2020 | N/S N/S | Scheme One: 6-9 April 2020 3-6 August 2020 |
|
| PRIME Newcastle | 1 August 2019 | 5 July 2020 | N/S | 27-29 July 2020 |
Is Clifford Chance the law firm for you? Take our new Which Magic Circle Law Firm is Right For Me? Quiz now!
Take the quiz!
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
| Founded: | 1743, formed by Samuel Dodd. |
| Based: | Fleet Street, London EC4Y |
| Senior Partner: | Edward Braham |
| Managing Partner: | Julian Long |
| Approx. number of partners: | 427 |
| Approx. numer of lawyers: | 2800 |
| Number of offices: | 28 |
| Number of countries with offices: | 16 |
| Revenue: | £1.33 billion |
| Number of trainees per year: | 80 |
| Retention rate of trainees: | 66% |
| GDL funding: | £7250 |
| Specified GDL provider: | BPP University, any branch |
| LPC funding: | £7000 |
| Specified LPC provider: | BPP University, London |
| Annual leave: | 25 days |
Defining moments:
- Considered the oldest international law firm in the world;
- The name “Freshfields” was introduced by James William Freshfield. It merged with Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Lober and Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund in 2000;
- Original partner Samuel Dodd was appointed solicitor to the Bank of England – Freshfields have continued to be the legal advisor to the bank ever since;
- Appointed the first legal services provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
What do they look for in Freshfields training contract candidates?
- Enthusiasm;
- Engaging;
- Well-prepared;
- An interest in business;
- Time management skills;
- Ability to work well in teams.
Freshfields Expert Insights:
- Freshfields Applications: Top Tips
- Freshfields: Work Shadowing Placement
- Freshfields Trainee: Top Tips
- Freshfields Graduate Recruitment: Law Training Contracts
Freshfields Application Timeline:
| Opportunity | For | Opens | Closes | Assessment Centres | Scheme runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Vacation Scheme | First year undergraduates | 1 October 2019 | 6 January 2020 | Beginning of 2020 | Scheme one: 22 June - 10 July 2020 Scheme two: 13 July 2020 - 31 July 2020 |
| Summer Training Contract (Law Only) | Penultimate and final year law students; law graduates; GDL graduates | 1 June 2020 | 16 July 2020 | August 2020 | N/S |
| Winter Training Contract (Law and Non-Law) | Final year law students; law graduates; final year non-law students; non-law graduates | 1 October 2019 | 6 January 2020 | March 2020 | N/S |
If you’re looking for firsthand interview tips from a Magic Circle partner, make sure to look at our blog post 12 Pro Interview Tips from a Magic Circle Partner – with all the practical advice you need to have your best interview yet!
Read the pro tips now
Linklaters
| Founded: | 1838, by John Linklater and Julius Dods |
| Based: | Silk Street, London, EC2 |
| Senior Partner: | Charles Jacobs |
| Managing Partner: | Gideon Moore |
| Approx. number of partners: | 470 |
| Approx. numer of lawyers: | 2300 |
| Number of offices: | 29 |
| Number of countries with offices: | 20 |
| Revenue: | £1.31 billion |
| Number of trainees per year: | 110 |
| Retention rate of trainees: | 94% |
| GDL funding: | £8000 (in London), £7000 (outside of London) |
| Specified GDL provider: | University of Law, any branch |
| LPC funding: | £7000 |
| Specified LPC provider: | University of Law, Moorgate |
Defining moments:
- In 1920, Linklater & Co merged with Paines Plythe & Huxtable, a firm that had been founded by a descendent of one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Paine.
What do they look for in Linklaters training contract candidates?
- Strong academic track record;
- Minimum of AAB at A-level;
- 2:1 degree in any discipline;
- Communication skills;
- Drive;
- Motivation;
- Teamwork;
- Attention to detail.
Linklaters Expert Insights:
Linklaters Application Timeline:
| Opportunity | For | Opens | Closes | Assessment Centres | Scheme runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Vacation Scheme | Penultimate and final year law or non-law students; law or non-law graduates; law or non-law postgraduates | Beginning of October 2019 | Beginning of January 2020 | N/S | 30 March - 9 April 2020 |
| Summer Vacation Scheme | Penultimate and final year law or non-law students; law or non-law graduates; law or non-law postgraduates | Beginning of October 2019 | Beginning of January 2020 | N/A | 29 June - 24 July 2020 3 August - 28 August 2020 |
| Training Contract (March/Sep Intake) | Penultimate and final year law students; law graduates; GDL graduates | Beginning of October 2019 | Beginning of January 2020 |
Is Linklaters the law firm for you? Take our new Which Magic Circle Law Firm is Right For Me? Quiz now!
Take the quiz!
Slaughter and May
| Founded: | 1889, by William Capel Slaughter and William May |
| Based: | Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y |
| Senior Partner: | Steve Cooke |
| Executive Partner: | Paul Stacey |
| Practice Partner: | David Wittmann |
| Approx. number of partners: | 115 |
| Approx. numer of lawyers: | 560 |
| Number of offices: | 4 |
| Number of countries with offices: | 4 |
| Revenue: | N/S |
| Number of trainees per year: | 80 |
| Retention rate of trainees: | 91% |
| Number of vacation schemes: | 80 |
| Specified GDL provider: | BPP University, London Waterloo + GDL Extra Programme |
| Specified LPC provider: | BPP Law School, Holborn |
| Annual leave: | 30 days |
Defining moments:
- The first City law firm to establish a presence in Hong Kong;
- The only law firm to have been involved in almost every aspect of the UK financial crisis;
- Advised on Cadbury’s takeover by Kraft.
What do they look for in Slaughter and May training contract candidates?
- Strong interpersonal skills;
- Ambitious, commercial approach;
- Commitment to excellence;
- Three good A-levels;
- A good 2:1 or 1st at degree;
- Relevant experience in one or more of their practice areas.
Slaughter and May Application Timeline:
| Opportunity | For | Opens | Closes | Scheme runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Vacation scheme | Penultimate law or non-law students | 1 October 2019 | 13 December 2019 | 30 March - 3 April 2020 |
| Summer Work Experience Scheme | Law students in the penultimate year of their undergraduate degree and law students in the second year of a four year course who will be going abroad in their third year | 1 October | 2 January 2020 | Scheme one: 22 June - 10 July 2020 Scheme two: 13 July - 31 July 2020 Scheme three: 1 September - 18 September 2020 |
| Training Contract | Finalists and graduates | 2 September 2019 | 31 January 2020 | 2022 |
| Winter two-day workshop 2019 | Law and non-law finalists and graduates | 1 October 2019 | 8 November 2019 | Scheme one: 9-10 December 2019 Scheme two: 16-17 December 2019 |
| First Year Open Day 2020 | First Year law and non-law students | 1 October 2019 | 31 January 2020 | Scheme one: 2 April 2020 Scheme two: 7 April 2020 Scheme three: 15 April 2020 |
Author: Isabella Ford
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