Also boosts GDL and LPC support
Baker McKenzie has confirmed future trainees sitting the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) will receive maintenance support of up to £17,000.
The firm said law graduates completing the 10-month SQE prep course will be offered £16,000 in financial support, while their non-law counterparts on the 11-month course will receive £17,000.
Separately, Bakers confirmed financial support for both the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) had increased to £12,500. These previously stood at £8,000 and £10,000, respectively. The firm also covers course fees.
The firm’s future rookies currently study the accelerated LPC at BPP University Law School. However, from September 2023 they will switch to the SQE pathway and complete a prep course with BARBRI.
Bakers’ London graduate recruitment partner, Priyanka Usmani, commented:
“As a firm, we are committed to improving social mobility in the profession and increasing the diversity of candidates undertaking our training contracts. By increasing the support that we make available to future trainees we hope to ensure that more students are able to access a career in law, which they may think is out of reach otherwise.”
News of the changes come some five months after the firm announced a new ‘Baker Boost’ grant of £4,000 and laptop bursary worth £750 to help support future trainees encountering financial difficulties.
London training principal, Stephen Ratcliffe, added: “The cost of living crisis continues to have an effect on people’s lives, so we want to ensure that the support we are offering future trainees means that they can focus on their studies and completing their qualifications. Along with our Baker Boost and Laptop Grants, which were introduced earlier this year, we are confident that we can offer as much support as possible to our future trainees.”
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2023 shows Bakers recruits around 40 trainees each year on a starting salary of £50,000. Earlier this summer the firm increased the salaries of its newly qualified associates to £110,000.
