Training contract numbers at UK leading law firms remain above pre-pandemic levels, despite recent dips and broader fears of a so-called “graduate jobpocalypse”, according to new research from Legal Cheek.
The University of Law has reported a significant rise in profits, posting a pre-tax surplus of £4.2 million for the year ending 31 May 2025, which is more than double the £1.6 million recorded the previous year. Newly filed accounts show income increasing by 6% to £173 million, a boost attributed to what the institution described as an “optimised course and campus mix” and a review of its costs base.
Milbank LLP has announced substantial summer bonuses for its lawyers globally, including those in London, while Osborne Clarke LLP has announced a salary increase for its newly qualified (NQ) associates in London.
Browne Jacobson LLP has launched a virtual free job simulator for less advantaged students, offering aspiring barristers a glimpse into life in the firm’s barrister team. The programme enables delegates to experience and complete tasks that replicate those of a junior barristers in the firm’s team – “a genuine first for the legal profession”.
Magic circle law firm Freshfields has entered a multi-year collaboration with leading AI company Anthropic to accelerate the development and firm-wide deployment of AI-powered legal workflows, with the Claude family of AI models now available globally across the firm.
Specialist AI venture capital firm Yorkshire AI Labs has launched AI law firm LEXcelerate, with the aim of significantly accelerating the remortgaging process by automating the majority of administrative work.
