Plus £1k ‘set-up bonus’
White & Case has revealed that its school-leaver solicitor apprentices will start on a market-leading salary of £32,000, ahead of welcoming its first cohort next year.
Apprentices will progress through the salary bands from years two to five (which Legal Cheek understands are still being finalised), and will earn the same as the firm’s trainees on the traditional training route in years five and six. These salaries currently sit at £62,000 and £67,000, respectively.
New W&C apprentices also receive a special £1,000 ‘set-up bonus’, bringing their first-year earnings to £33,000.
Other firms offering substantial starting salaries to their teenage apprentices include Mishcon de Reya, Norton Rose Fulbright, Osborne Clarke, Linklaters, and Hogan Lovells, all of which offer £28,000. Elsewhere, the six or so recruits on the newly-launched scheme at Freshfields will earn a £3,000 signing bonus on top of their £28,000 salary.
News of W&C’s £32k starting salary for 18-year-olds, believed to be the highest currently offered by any firm in the City, coincides with the launch of our new 2025 Solicitor Apprenticeship Most List. You can check it out here.
The revamped and updated list for the 2025 recruitment year provides an in-depth look at life as a solicitor apprentice at over 30 law firms, ranging from Magic Circle giants and UK-based global elite firms to leading national and specialist firms.
The Solicitor Apprenticeships Most List is an interactive tool that allows aspiring apprentices to compare law firms based on key factors such as apprenticeship numbers, salary, and office locations. Each firm’s profile, accompanied by the exclusive Legal Cheek View, provides insights from current apprentices, giving sixth formers a genuine look into the apprentice experience
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This guide complements the recently updated and popular 2025 Firms Most List, which is aimed at university graduates pursuing traditional training contracts. In addition to firm details, the Apprenticeships Most List covers the structure of each apprenticeship, how firms handle LLB and SQE studies, office culture, and key deadlines for applications, insight days, and recruitment events.
Want to know more? Legal Cheek is running a series of virtual events for Year 12 and 13 students (sixth formers) considering the solicitor apprenticeship route. You can pre-register for the series now.