Work Experience 2011

I worked in a regional London-based firm with another small office elsewhere in the UK specialising in no win no fee compensation claims. The firm had many paralegals because Read more

Hints

When you are looking for a training contract, there are many factors that you should be looking for, like reputation of the firm, its location, size and many others. For me one of the most important factors is its retention rates of the trainees. Not only is it important to get this sought-after training contract but also be relatively confident that you will have a job after those two years. Here I am bringing to your attention an article dated 09/08/2010:

'Trainee retention rates at the U.K.'s leading law firms are recovering strongly this year as activity levels begin to pick up in the wake of the downturn.

The average retention rate for September intakes across the U.K. top 30 firms currently stands at 81 percent, an improvement of seven percentage points from September 2009, based on the number of qualifying trainees due to remain at their firm.

A handful of top 30 firms, including Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, have yet to confirm their retention rates, but of the 22 firms to disclose figures so far, 15 have announced rates of over 80 percent, while four have kept on more than 90 percent.

Firms to have recently released figures include Eversheds, which is due to retain 83 percent of September qualifiers, with 72 out of 87 remaining with the firm, while Ashurst is keeping on 27 out of 31, equating to a rate of 87 percent.

Meanwhile, Hogan Lovells is keeping on 71 percent of its UK intake for September, with 29 out of 41 qualifiers staying on at the newly-merged firm.

Outside the top 10, CMS Cameron McKenna will keep on 27 of 33 qualifiers (82 percent), although retention rates remained low at Pinsent Masons for the second year in a row, with just 55 percent of qualifiers kept on.

SJ Berwin was one of a number of firms to improve rates from last September, with 78 percent of 37 qualifiers kept on -- an increase of 7 percent over last year's figure of 71 percent.

SJ Berwin graduate recruitment and trainee development partner Bryan Pickup commented: "Like most people, we are feeling more positive than we were a year ago and that is reflected in our retention figure. A year ago things were looking pretty bleak but now there is a sense that the economy on the whole is on a slow upward track. Our preference is always to retain people and now there is a feeling of being a bit more confident about the future."

Macfarlanes has posted the highest retention rate among the U.K. top 30 so far this year with 94 percent, closely followed by Slaughter and May at 93 percent.'

Source: http://www.lawjobs.com/newsandviews/LawArticle.jsp?id=1202464372929&rss=newswire&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

So this is an important area to investigate while looking at the firms where you might be doing the training. Obviously, be aware of the fact that some firms can achieve high figures more easily than others due to the fact that they take on a lot less trainees than some bigger law firms who take on, say 40.

 


I think sorting out your university e-mail address as soon as possible is essential! Lots of important things come through like where and when you have to be during the first couple of weeks [which are hectic by the way] e.g. course registration. You also get alerted if any vacancies are coming up if you need a part-time job during term-time, news from the societies etc.

So - sort it out and don't fail to check it!


Savanna Tyche Gray

Tell your friends on Yahoo about Savanna's latest article!Follow Savanna Tyche Gray on TwitterFollow Savanna Tyche Gray on DiggLike Lawyer 2 be blog on Stumbleupon Become Friends with Savanna Tyche Gray on Facebook Bookmark Lawyer 2 be blog on Google Share Lawyer 2 Be on Reddit

Follow me

Website Audience

At the moment, you are studying at ....... level
 
We have 25 guests online

Who's Online

Important reminder

My views and my articles and anything you can find on my website is my intellectual property:
- If you would like to take any material from my website and post it on a third party's website you need to reference my website;
- If you would like to quote me in a published document, you need to get my permission first. Please contact me if that's the case.

Profile Information

Application afterLoad: 0.000 seconds, 0.28 MB
Application afterInitialise: 0.021 seconds, 1.00 MB
Application afterRoute: 0.022 seconds, 1.40 MB
Application afterDispatch: 0.037 seconds, 2.23 MB
Application afterRender: 0.047 seconds, 2.71 MB

Memory Usage

2875528

32 queries logged

  1. SELECT *
      FROM jos_session
      WHERE session_id = 'r1vl6hvo5qpbaehubdmvtufor5'
  2. DELETE
      FROM jos_session
      WHERE ( TIME < '1713474790' )
  3. SELECT *
      FROM jos_session
      WHERE session_id = 'r1vl6hvo5qpbaehubdmvtufor5'
  4. INSERT INTO `jos_session` ( `session_id`,`time`,`username`,`gid`,`guest`,`client_id` )
      VALUES ( 'r1vl6hvo5qpbaehubdmvtufor5','1713475690','','0','1','0' )
  5. SELECT *
      FROM jos_components
      WHERE parent = 0
  6. SELECT folder AS TYPE, element AS name, params
      FROM jos_plugins
      WHERE published >= 1
      AND access <= 0
      ORDER BY ordering
  7. SELECT template
      FROM jos_templates_menu
      WHERE client_id = 0
      AND (menuid = 0 OR menuid = 234)
      ORDER BY menuid DESC
      LIMIT 0, 1
  8. SELECT c.*, s.id AS sectionid, s.title AS sectiontitle, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(c.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", c.id, c.alias) ELSE c.id END AS slug
      FROM jos_categories AS c
      INNER JOIN jos_sections AS s
      ON s.id = c.SECTION
      WHERE c.id = 51
      LIMIT 0, 1
  9. SELECT cc.title AS category, a.id, a.title, a.alias, a.title_alias, a.introtext, a.fulltext, a.sectionid, a.state, a.catid, a.created, a.created_by, a.created_by_alias, a.modified, a.modified_by, a.checked_out, a.checked_out_time, a.publish_up, a.publish_down, a.attribs, a.hits, a.images, a.urls, a.ordering, a.metakey, a.metadesc, a.access, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(a.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", a.id, a.alias) ELSE a.id END AS slug, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(cc.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", cc.id, cc.alias) ELSE cc.id END AS catslug, CHAR_LENGTH( a.`fulltext` ) AS readmore, u.name AS author, u.usertype, g.name AS groups, u.email AS author_email
      FROM jos_content AS a
      LEFT JOIN jos_categories AS cc
      ON a.catid = cc.id
      LEFT JOIN jos_users AS u
      ON u.id = a.created_by
      LEFT JOIN jos_groups AS g
      ON a.access = g.id
      WHERE 1
      AND a.access <= 0
      AND a.catid = 51
      AND a.state = 1
      AND ( publish_up = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_up <= '2024-04-18 21:28:10' )
      AND ( publish_down = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_down >= '2024-04-18 21:28:10' )
      ORDER BY cc.ordering,  a.created DESC,  a.created DESC
      LIMIT 0, 9
  10. SELECT cc.title AS category, a.id, a.title, a.alias, a.title_alias, a.introtext, a.fulltext, a.sectionid, a.state, a.catid, a.created, a.created_by, a.created_by_alias, a.modified, a.modified_by, a.checked_out, a.checked_out_time, a.publish_up, a.publish_down, a.attribs, a.hits, a.images, a.urls, a.ordering, a.metakey, a.metadesc, a.access, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(a.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", a.id, a.alias) ELSE a.id END AS slug, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(cc.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", cc.id, cc.alias) ELSE cc.id END AS catslug, CHAR_LENGTH( a.`fulltext` ) AS readmore, u.name AS author, u.usertype, g.name AS groups, u.email AS author_email
      FROM jos_content AS a
      LEFT JOIN jos_categories AS cc
      ON a.catid = cc.id
      LEFT JOIN jos_users AS u
      ON u.id = a.created_by
      LEFT JOIN jos_groups AS g
      ON a.access = g.id
      WHERE 1
      AND a.access <= 0
      AND a.catid = 51
      AND a.state = 1
      AND ( publish_up = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_up <= '2024-04-18 21:28:10' )
      AND ( publish_down = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_down >= '2024-04-18 21:28:10' )
      ORDER BY cc.ordering,  a.created DESC,  a.created DESC
  11. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  12. SELECT COUNT(`value`) AS COUNT,SUM(`value`) AS SUM
      FROM jos_urcomment_rating
      WHERE `contentid`=''
  13. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  14. SELECT `hits`
      FROM jos_content
      WHERE `id`='51'
  15. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  16. SELECT *
      FROM jos_urcomment
      WHERE contentid= ''
      AND published='1'  
      AND parentid='-1'
      ORDER BY DATE DESC
      LIMIT 0, 10
  17. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  18. SELECT COUNT(`value`) AS COUNT,SUM(`value`) AS SUM
      FROM jos_urcomment_rating
      WHERE `contentid`='115'
  19. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  20. SELECT *
      FROM jos_urcomment
      WHERE contentid= '115'
      AND published='1'  
      AND parentid='-1'
      ORDER BY DATE DESC
      LIMIT 0, 10
  21. SELECT *
      FROM jos_urcomment
      WHERE contentid= '115'
      AND published='1'
      ORDER BY DATE DESC
  22. SELECT a.*, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(a.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", a.id, a.alias) ELSE a.id END AS slug, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(cc.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", cc.id, cc.alias) ELSE cc.id END AS catslug
      FROM jos_content AS a
      LEFT JOIN jos_content_frontpage AS f
      ON f.content_id = a.id
      INNER JOIN jos_categories AS cc
      ON cc.id = a.catid
      INNER JOIN jos_sections AS s
      ON s.id = a.sectionid
      WHERE a.id=115
  23. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  24. SELECT COUNT(`value`) AS COUNT,SUM(`value`) AS SUM
      FROM jos_urcomment_rating
      WHERE `contentid`='110'
  25. SELECT `value`, `name`
      FROM jos_urcomment_config
      WHERE `name`='allConfig' OR `name`='themeConfig'
  26. SELECT *
      FROM jos_urcomment
      WHERE contentid= '110'
      AND published='1'  
      AND parentid='-1'
      ORDER BY DATE DESC
      LIMIT 0, 10
  27. SELECT *
      FROM jos_urcomment
      WHERE contentid= '110'
      AND published='1'
      ORDER BY DATE DESC
  28. SELECT a.*, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(a.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", a.id, a.alias) ELSE a.id END AS slug, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(cc.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", cc.id, cc.alias) ELSE cc.id END AS catslug
      FROM jos_content AS a
      LEFT JOIN jos_content_frontpage AS f
      ON f.content_id = a.id
      INNER JOIN jos_categories AS cc
      ON cc.id = a.catid
      INNER JOIN jos_sections AS s
      ON s.id = a.sectionid
      WHERE a.id=110
  29. SELECT id, title, module, POSITION, content, showtitle, control, params
      FROM jos_modules AS m
      LEFT JOIN jos_modules_menu AS mm
      ON mm.moduleid = m.id
      WHERE m.published = 1
      AND m.access <= 0
      AND m.client_id = 0
      AND ( mm.menuid = 234 OR mm.menuid = 0 )
      ORDER BY POSITION, ordering
  30. SELECT id, title, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(':', id, alias) ELSE id END AS slug  
      FROM jos_polls
      WHERE id = 15
      AND published = 1
  31. SELECT id, text
      FROM jos_poll_data
      WHERE pollid = 15
      AND text <> ""
      ORDER BY id
  32. SELECT guest, usertype, client_id
      FROM jos_session
      WHERE client_id = 0

Language Files Loaded

Untranslated Strings Diagnostic

None

Untranslated Strings Designer

None