Open to grads currently working in the magic circle outfit’s Northern Irish centre
Allen & Overy (A&O) has launched a training contract scheme in Northern Ireland.
The new route to qualification as a magic circle lawyer is open to graduates currently working at A&O’s Legal Services Centre (LSC) in Belfast. The first group of successful applicants will start their training contract upon completion of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in March and September 2021.
Salaries are still to be confirmed but will be “very competitive”, while trainee’s LPC fees will be half-funded by the firm.
Jane Townsend, partner and head of the LSC in Belfast, said: “As the challenges faced by our clients evolve, we need to ensure that our lawyer base is as diverse and has as broad a skillset as possible to best serve them.” She continued:
“That’s why we are evolving our processes too, to attract and train talented and ambitious lawyers of the future from all kinds of backgrounds and with a range of skills and interests. Combining studying and working during the LPC will continue to expose our lawyers in Belfast to the latest advances in legal tech and reflect the knowledge and skills lawyers of the future will increasingly need. With this new route to qualification our aim is to make a career in the law a compelling prospect for a broader range of graduates.”
A&O isn’t the first big player to offer training contracts in the Northern Ireland capital. National player TLT launched a training programme in 2014, followed by Baker McKenzie in 2017.
Legal Cheek‘s Firms Most List shows that A&O, which offers around 90 training contacts each year, currently pays its London trainees £45,000 in year one, rising to £50,000 in year two.
In our latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey, A&O scored A*s for tech, perks and office, as well as As for training, quality of work, peer support and its canteen.