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Solicitors

Law school sponsorship

updated on 04 September 2019

Many firms offer to pay their future trainees’ GDL and LPC fees, if they have been recruited while an undergraduate. Some (although not many) will even retrospectively pay those fees if a recruit has already started one of the courses. Additionally, a number of firms will also pay a maintenance grant to students while they are studying the course(s). It may be that when it comes to selecting a firm at which to train, this kind of financial incentive and support is a critical factor. A full list of those firms that offer such benefits follows:

Firm Sponsorship details
Addleshaw Goddard GDL and LPC fees are paid, plus a maintenance grant of £7,000 (London) or £4,500 (elsewhere in the UK). Benefits include corporate gym membership, season ticket loan, subsidised restaurant, pension and private healthcare.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld GDL/LPC plus £8,000 per year maintenance grant.
Allen & Overy LLP For candidates studying for the GDL, we will provide an annual maintenance grant of £8,000 in London (or £7,000 elsewhere in the UK). We will provide a maintenance grant of £7,000 while you take the Allen & Overy LPC. 
Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP Arnold & Porter will pay your fees for the LPC and the GDL. In addition we will pay a maintenance grant for each course.
Ashfords We offer full sponsorship of the LPC at any University of Law centre (providing the LPC has not already been commenced).
Ashurst LLP Full fees paid for the GDL and LPC fees plus maintenance allowances of £8,000 per annum (for study in London) or £7,000 per annum (for study outside of London). First class degree awards of £500 and language tuition bursaries.
Baker & McKenzie For both the GDL and LPC+, we will pay your course fees, together with a maintenance grant towards living expenses.
Bates Wells Braithwaite We will provide financial support to the value of £6,000 for LPC course fees which commence after the offer has been accepted. Similar support is given for the GDL on a discretionary basis.
Berwin Leighton Paisner GDL and LLM+ fees paid and £7,200 maintenance pa.
Bevan Brittan LLP Bursary and funding for GDL and LPC available.
Bircham Dyson Bell LLP Bircham Dyson Bell provides funding for GDL and LPC fees with BPP Law School.
Bird & Bird Bird & Bird pays successful applicant's GDL/LPC fees and offers a maintenance grant of £5,500 for each study year.
BLM LPC - Full details to be confirmed.
Bond Dickinson See firm website
Boodle Hatfield LLP LPC and GDL fees are paid for as well maintenance grants.
Brabners LLP A contribution to LPC fees is paid.
Bristows LLP See firm website
Browne Jacobson LLP LPC/GDL fees paid, plus maintenance grant for LPC/GDL of £5,000. These will not be paid retrospectively.
Burges Salmon LLP The firm pays GDL and LPC fees for our future trainees to attend either the Bristol Institute of Legal Practice at the University of West England or at any of University of Law centre locations. Maintenance grants of £7,000 are paid to LPC students, and £14,000 to students studying for both the GDL and LPC (£7,000 pa).
Capsticks Solicitors LLP Capsticks offers its future trainees financial support for both the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course.
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP We undertake to pay GDL and/or LPC course fees together with a maintenance grant.
Clyde & Co LLP We pay full fees for the GDL and LPC as well as a maintenance grant.
CMS UK From the moment you're offered a training contract with us, you can expect support, opportunity, responsibility and variety. We'll sponsor you while you study for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and/or the Legal Practice Course (LPC), as well as cover your fees and provide you with a generous grant.
Cooley (UK) LLP GDL/LPC fees funding plus living allowance of £7,000 in London and £6,500 outside London per annum.
Covington & Burling LLP Covington will pay tuition and examination fees for both the GDL and the LPC. Maintenance will be paid at the current rate of up to £8,000 per annum.
Cripps LLP Cripps has an exclusive deal with the University of Law for GDL, LPC and PSC studies. This provides all our future trainees with discounted rates. In addition, we have a discretionary funding scheme for LPC students. This provides 50% by way of bursary and 50% by way of an interest-free loan.
Davis Polk & Wardwell London LLP The firm covers the cost of GDL and LPC fees and pays a maintenance grant of £8,000 per year.
Dechert LLP GDL and LPC fees, plus £10,000 maintenance grant for each year of law school.
Dentons We pay full fees for the GDL and/or LPC during years of study and offer a maintenance grant of £5,000 per annum (£6,000 per annum for students studying in London).
DLA Piper UK LLP Where training contracts are secured prior to course completion, we fully fund the LPC and the GDL. We also offer  maintenance grants of up to £7,000.
DWF LLP DWF sponsors the LPC and the Scottish Diploma, and we’ll reimburse you the cost of these if you’ve already completed the course before accepting a training contract with us.
Edwin Coe LLP Students who accept a training contract with Edwin Coe LLP will be provided with sponsorship for the LPC course fees, provided they have yet to complete the course
EMW Law LLP Successful trainee solicitors joining us have the option of accepting sponsorship in respect of the LPC with the course fees being reimbursed as part of the sponsorship arrangements agreed.  To qualify for the sponsorship you will have completed your LPC in 2016 or 2017.
Eversheds LLP Financial support is offered to prospective trainees for the GDL and LPC. The firm will cover fees for these courses and currently provide an annual maintenance grant of between £5,000-7,000.
Faegre Baker Daniels LLP See firm website
Farrer & Co LLP Fees for GDL and LPC and £6,000 grant per year.
Fieldfisher We have chosen Kaplan Law School in London to be our preferred provider of the GDL & LPC. We will pay course fees in full and provide a competitive maintenance grant. For more details please visit our website: www.careers.fieldfisher.com/graduates
Foot Anstey LLP Sponsorship available for LPC and living expenses.
Forsters LLP Payment of GDL and LPC fees, plus a maintenance grant of £5,000 per year of study is offered to future trainees who have yet to complete these courses.
Freeths LLP Discretionary LPC funding on the Direct Entry Training Programme. GDL and LPC fees are paid on the training contract with part-time study programme.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP We pay our prospective trainees' tuition fees for the GDL and LPC and offer a maintenance grant of £6,250 per year for those studying the GDL and £6,000 for those studying the LPC (we require prospective trainees to undertake the accelerated LPC at BPP Law School in London).
Gibson Dunn Gibson Dunn will pay GDL/LPC fees in full. Competitive maintenance allowance also paid for each year of law school.
Goodman Derrick LLP Funding for LPC fees at the institution of your choice and a maintenance grant of £4,000 during the LPC.
Gordons LLP The firm contributes £5,000 towards LPC course fees.
Government Legal Service The GLS will pay your Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) fees in full provided you have not yet started the course. Where the course has begun, the GLS will pay your fees for the remainder. We cannot make any retrospective payments to candidates who have successfully completed the course. We have no preference which Law or Bar school you attend. We will also provide you with a grant of about £5,000 - £7,000 for the vocational year.
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP £5,000 pa for GDL maintenace grant outside London.
£6,000 pa for GDL maintenance grant in London.
£6,000 pa for LPC maintenance grant in London.
Payment of all course fees.
Hill Dickinson LLP LPC and maintenance grant.
Hogan Lovells

GDL and LPC course fees are paid. The maintenance grants are:

        £7,000 for LPC students
        £8,000 for GDL students in London    
        £7,000 for GDL students outside London

Holman Fenwick Willan We pay course and examination fees for the GDL and the LPC together with an annual maintenance grant during these courses. Our trainees follow a tailor-made LPC course at Kaplan law school.
Ince & Co LLP We will pay your GDL and LPC fees and provide you with a maintenance grant. For the GDL we currently pay a maintenance grant of £6,500 for study within London and Guildford and £6,000 for elsewhere, and for the LPC this is currently £7,000 for study within London and Guildford and £6,500 for elsewhere.
Irwin Mitchell We meet all fees associated with the LPC and if applicable the GDL if you have not started or completed your studies when offered a training contract. Irwin Mitchell do not pay fees retrospectively. We also provide a maintenance grant of £4,500 to help you through your studies.
Jones Day

GDL and LPC fees paid and £9,000 maintenance.

Jones Day offers its sponsored students the fast track LPC at BPP law school from mid-August to mid-March each year. The full year's maintenance grant remains unchanged at £9,000. Students will have the opportunity to take a five-month gap between concluding their LPC and commencing their training contract at Jones Day in early September.

As from September 2015, Jones Day has decided to further invest in its future trainees' learning by integrating (and teaching face-to face) the Business (Finance) module from BPP's (LPC with Business) Masters Programme into its fast track LPC. This is in order to give more business context to the LPC and prepare its trainees better for work.

K&L Gates LLP GDL funding: fees paid plus £5,000 maintenance grant. LPC funding: fees paid plus £7,000 maintenance grant.
King & Wood Mallesons See firm website
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP Full sponsorship of GDL and LPC fees, plus a maintenance grant of £8,000 pa.
Latham & Watkins Sponsorship GDL/LPC fees paid in full; £8,000 maintenance grant paid in each law school year.
Lester Aldridge LLP LPC loan.
Lewis Silkin Funding for LPC and GDL fees provided plus £5,000 maintenance grant for each.
Linklaters LLP Linklaters recruits a diverse mix of the most talented graduates from a wide range of universities and backgrounds. Non-law graduates spend a conversion year at law school taking the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and all graduates complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC) before starting their training contracts. The firm meets the cost of the GDL and the LPC and provides a maintenance grant for both.
Macfarlanes LLP CPE/GDL and LPC course fees.
Maintenance allowance for CPE/GDL students, £7,000 for courses studied in London, Guildford and Oxford, and £6,250 for courses studied elsewhere.
Maintenance allowance for LPC students, £7,000.
Maclay Murray & Spens LLP MMS will reimburse the cost of students undertaking the LPC up to £10,000.
MMS is not a sponsoring employer and all candidates should provide eligiblity to work in the UK.
Mayer Brown International LLP We pay all course fees for the GDL (if applicable) and the LPC together with a maintenance grant of £6,500 (£7,000 for London and Guildford) for each.
McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP GDL and LPC funding and maintenance grant.
Memery Crystal LLP The firm funds the GDL and LPC at the provider of your choice.
Michelmores We fully fund the LPC with the University of Law.
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy Full sponsorship of the GDL and LPC plus a maintenance grant of £8,000 during each year of study.
Mills & Reeve LLP GDL and LPC fees are paid. A maintenance grant is available too.
Mishcon de Reya Full LPC and GDL funding. Living allowance of £5,000 payable in the LPC year. Discretionary payments for other periods considered.
Morgan Lewis & Bockius We sponsor our trainees through the GDL/LPC at BPP, offering a maintenance grant of £7,500.
Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP

Full GDL and LPC sponsorship offered. We also pay a maintenance grant of £8,000 per year.

We have an exclusive arrangement with the University of Law for the GDL and the LPC for candidates who have not yet enrolled to take these courses elsewhere. Candidates enrolled with, or who have completed their professional qualifications with other course providers will, of course, still be considered.

Muckle LLP See firm website
Nabarro LLP Full fees and maintenance grant of £7,000 if studying the LPC in London; £6,000 if studying in Nottingham/Sheffield. £6,000 if studying the GDL in London; £5,000 if studying elsewhere. If you have already completed either course, at the point we recruit you, we will reimburse 50% of your tuition fees.
Norton Rose Fulbright

GDL and LPC course fees are paid. The maintenance grants are:

    £7,000 for LPC students
    £6,000 for GDL students in London

Olswang LLP Future trainees have the support of the firm both personally and financially throughout the GDL and the LPC. We also provide a maintenance grant. The payment of the GDL and LPC course fees are paid in full unless future trainees are more than three months into their course. In these instances we will reimburse them 25% of their fees only.
O'Melveny & Myers LLP O'Melveny & Myers sponsors GDL/LPC fees incurred post-recruitment and awards a maintenance grant (currently £8,000 per annum) during the GDL/LPC studies.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP GDL and LPC course fees paid plus £7,000 maintenance grant.
Osborne Clarke

We have an arrangement with BPP to teach both the GDL and the LPC to our future trainees. 

We will pay candidates tuition fees provided that they are no more than half way through either course when they are recruited, along with a maintenance grant of £6,500 per course.

Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP Full fees for GDL and LPC plus a maintenance grant whilst you are studying.
Penningtons Manches LLP Full LPC fees plus a maintenance grant of £5,000.
PwC Legal Trainees can apply for a scholarship award to help with the costs of the Graduate Diploma and the Legal Practice Course. If successful, you’ll receive the total cost of the tuition and examination fees plus a significant contribution towards living expenses. You can find out more on our website.
Reed Smith

GDL funding: Fees paid plus £6,000 maintenance.

LPC funding: Fees paid plus £7,000 maintenance.

Ropes & Gray

We will pay tuition and examination fees for both the GDL and the LPC.

Maintenance will be paid at the current rate of £7,000 per annum.

Rosenblatt Flexible benefits scheme. LPC funding and living allowance whilst studying of £6,000 in London and £5,000 outside.  If you have completed the LPC prior to accepting a training contract with us then you will be eligible for a reimbursement of your fees (15%-75%) depending on when the course was completed.
RPC Bursaries are available for the GDL, if applicable, and the LPC. Bursaries comprise course and examination fees and maintenance grants of up to £7,000.  We request that all our trainees complete their LPC and GDL at BPP law school.
Russell-Cooke Solicitors We provide capped sponsorship of up to £8,000 per candidate for LPC fees.
SGH Martineau LLP

We offer sponsorship in regard to LPC fees and provide a and maintenance grant of £4,500 to support you while you study.

For those who study a GDL, a discretionary interest loan is available which can then be repaid during your training contract.

Shearman & Sterling (London) LLP GDL & LPC. Plus £7,000 maintenance grant.
Shoosmiths Shoosmiths will offer financial  support towards your future postgraduate studies (GDL/LPC or equivalent) and in  some circumstances will also offer a living allowance whilst you study. Full  details are provided with your offer of a training contract.
Shulmans LLP We provide an excellent salary and benefits package, which includes payment of LPC fees and the opportunity to take an interest-free loan of up to £5,000, repayable by monthly instalments during your training contract.
Sidley Austin LLP GDL and LPC fees paid. Maintenance grant also paid (up to £7,000 per annum). Trainees undertake the fast-track LPC at BPP Law School.
Simmons & Simmons LLP The firm will cover your full tuition fees for law school and offer a maintenance grant of £6,500 for the GDL and £7,500 for the LPC. You will have the option of taking a £2,000 loan prior to the start of your training contract, to help with expenditure on everything from rental deposits to a new suit!
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP The firm pays for GDL and LPC course fees and provides a £8,000 maintenance grant for each year of these courses.
Slaughter and May Maintenance grant, tuition and examination fees.
Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP

Tuition fees are paid for both the GDL and LPC, plus a maintenance grant of:

GDL - London £6,000 Regions £4,500.

LPC - London £7,000 Regions £5,000.

Stephenson Harwood LLP Fees paid for the GDL and LPC, at BPP law school in London and maintenance awards of up to £6,000 (if still studying).
Stevens & Bolton LLP We pay the fees for the CPE/GDL and LPC at the level set by the University of Law Guildford, and a £4,000 maintenance grant for each course of study. Any future trainees who are yet to take their LPC or the GDL are required to attend the University of Law Guildford.
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP In addition to offering the most attractive trainee salary and benefits package of any major law firm in London, we will cover Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) fees for prospective trainees who accept our offer of a training contract. We will also pay a maintenance grant.
Taylor Walton LLP Capped contribution towards LPC fees.
Taylor Wessing GDL and LPC fees at BPP London sponsored. A maintenance grant is provided.
Thomas Cooper LLP Thomas Cooper will sponsor successful candidates for both the GDL and the LPC.
Thomas Eggar We make a grant of 50% of the LPC fees and an interest free loan to cover the balance: the loan is repayable over the period of the training contract.
Thomson Snell & Passmore Sponsorship grant and interest-free loan available for LPC.
TLT LLP GDL and LPC fees if not already undertaken.
Travers Smith LLP GDL and LPC paid in full and maintenance grant provided (£7,000 in London and £6,500 outside).
Trowers & Hamlins LLP

For those individuals to whom we make a training contract offer, if you have yet to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and / or the Legal Practice Course (LPC), we will cover your course fees in full. We will also provide you with a maintenance grant of either £6,000 (if you are studying the course(s) in London) or £5,500 (if you are studying the course(s) outside of London) from us for each year of study.

All future trainees intending to study the GDL and / or the LPC in London are required to attend Kaplan Law School. For those wishing to study the course(s) outside of London, we are flexible with your choice of institution. In terms of the electives on the LPC, you can choose your own provided they are relevant to the firm's core practice areas.

Veale Wasbrough Vizards LLP Candidates who have been offered and have accepted a training contract with the firm may be eligible for sponsorship of tuition fees whilst studying for the Legal Practice Course. Veale Wasbrough Vizards offers an interest free loan to help with living expenses.
Vinson & Elkins RLLP GDL and LPC fees paid, plus a maintenance grant of up to £7,200 for the LPC year.
Walker Morris LLP

We will pay future LPC/GDL fees together with £5,000 mainteance fees to students who have been offered a training contract.

Travel bursaries: We offer three travel bursaries worth £1,000 each to future trainees. The successful applicant will have demonstrated a desire to undertake charitable work and or develop their commercial skills either in the UK or abroad.

Ward Hadaway GDL/LPC fees paid and maintenance grant
Watson Farley & Williams LLP Full fees (both GDL and LPC) are paid dependant on the point of offer plus a maintenance grant of £5,500 per annum if studying outside London, £6,500 if studying in London.
Wedlake Bell LLP LPC fees paid and £4,000 maintenance grant where local authority grant not available.
Weightmans LLP See firm website
Weil, Gotshal & Manges We offer full sponsorship of both the GDL and LPC, together with a maintenance grant of £8,000 to all our future trainees.
White & Case LLP White & Case will pay the course fees for the GDL and LPC, and will provide a maintenance grant for each full time law school year.
Wilkin Chapman LLP A discretionary £5,000 grant towards LPC fees may be available.
Winckworth Sherwood LLP Under certain conditions the firm provides financial assistance for course fees to trainees attending the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or in exceptional circumstances studying for a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
Withers LLP Full fees for GDL and LPC and a maintenance grant of £5,000 per course.
Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co We cover your Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) fees, as well as providing a maintenance grant for each course.
We offer all trainees the following: £1,000 interest-free loan, a prize for first class degree, a prize for GDL and LPC distinction, pension scheme (firm makes a contribution after six months), life assurance, permanent health insurance, access to discounted private medical insurance rates, 25 days holiday, optional unpaid leave, social club, access to corporate rates and discounts.