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“It’s as simple as being friendly,” summarised one student when we asked for the top three factors that might sway their choice when selecting law firms to apply to.

The comment comes as part of The Legal Cheek Student Perceptions Report 2023 which takes a deep dive into the issues that matter to aspiring lawyers. Two thousand students gave their opinions on everything from desirable practice areas, to what they think the firms are looking for and how they decide where to apply.

In a profession that has gained a reputation for being ambitious to the point of cut-throat, what this new generation of future lawyers found important was surprising. Respondents came from a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines, but three quarters (75%) fell into the category of Generation Z.

The number one factor in selecting whether to apply was the firm’s reputation for being friendly, with 30% selecting it as one of their most important factors. “If people are going out of their way to say the firm has a reputation for being unfriendly, then I’d probably avoid it like the plague,” said one respondent.

Quality of work came in second for aspiring solicitors, as 28% included it as a key factor. The general consensus was that no matter how great a firm was for quality of work, a reputation for treating trainees poorly was a deal-breaker for many applicants — even if that firm was in the Magic Circle.

Remuneration at trainee and newly qualified (NQ) solicitor levels only ranked third on this wish-list, as a quarter (25%) included it in their top three influencing factors. This is at odds with how the profession — especially in the corporate sphere — has been traditionally viewed and could suggest a shift in the way students are approaching this often lucrative career path.

The factors that respondents considered least important were WFH policies (9%), perks (9%) office facilities (5%) and social mobility schemes (5%).

The emphasis on friendliness hinted at a general desire to feel appreciated as a trainee. Many students believed that this was related to trainee retention rates; there was an assumption that a firm with a low retention rate could indicate that those trainees did not feel valued at that particular firm.

Additional pull factors suggested by the students included a high profit per equity partner, impressive growth rate, a commitment to corporate social responsibility and firm values that match the applicant’s own.

For details about how to get a copy of The Legal Cheek Student Perceptions Report 2023, please contact team@legalcheek.com

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The majority of law firms think the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) is not enough to prepare trainees for legal practice and require them to undertake additional practice area and skills-focused modules and courses.

Legal Cheek research shows almost two-thirds (63%) of law firms require future trainees to complete practice area-focused modules in addition to preparation for the SQE, whilst more than half (52%) require skills-focused courses. More than half (52%) also require SQE prep to be undertaken as part of a master’s programme.

The results represent the views of nearly 50 graduate recruitment and learning & development professionals at leading City law firms, including Magic Circle, UK and US-headquartered global law firms. Just 13% said they require no further training at all.

Law firms’ additional training requirements are possible as the SQE allows greater flexibility; they can provide modules and courses suited to their needs rather than focus on prescriptive requirements of the solicitors’ regulator. These are known as ‘electives’ under the SQE’s predecessor, the Legal Practice Course (LPC), but as this course is gradually phased out, law firms must look to stopper the skills and knowledge gap left by their removal. City law firms tend to require additional training that aligns with their core practice areas, such as corporate and commercial law.

Over three-quarters (76%) of the law firm representatives surveyed said this training would be provided by an external organisation, with the remainder (24%) arranging for it to be delivered in-house. They all said if they require additional training their firms would fund it.

The SQE was introduced in 2021, becoming the route to solicitor qualification in England and Wales. More than half (52%) of law firms will transition to the SQE pathway from this year, our findings show, whilst 22% said they will do so from 2024 and 26% from 2025 onwards. Of those planning to transition to the SQE after 2023, the majority (33%) said they’ll recruit a blended intake of LPC and SQE graduates.

Elsewhere in the survey — undertaken by 46 law firms — nearly all respondents (98%) said they will require non-law students to undertake a law conversion course prior to commencing their SQE prep. This is despite there being no formal requirement from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to do so.

In addition to SQE training and any practice area and skills-focused modules and courses, trainees must complete a two-year period of recognised training known as Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). For the majority of City law firms this isn’t too dissimilar to their current training contracts.

The SQE will be a central topic of discussion at LegalEdCon 2023, Legal Cheek‘s annual future of legal education and training conference, taking place in-person at Kings Place, London on Thursday 18 May. Delegates will hear from a range of law firms and law schools on how they established SQE frameworks and where they think the new regime is headed.

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