Baker McKenzie has posted a spring retention score of 17 out of 20, keeping the majority of its newly qualifying (NQ) trainees in London. The result equates to either 85% or 80%, depending on whether the one fixed-term contract among the retained cohort is included in the calculation.
Clifford Chance has revealed that 49 of its 57 final-seat trainees will be joining the firm as newly qualified (NQ) solicitors this September, marking a retention rate of 86% for its autumn cohort.
Just over half of candidates who sat the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE1) in January 2026 passed, according to new figures released by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The regulator’s statistical report, published yesterday, confirmed an overall pass rate of 53%, marking an improvement from last summer’s record low rate of 41%.