Newly qualified lawyers snapped up
The majority of newly qualified solicitors in the West Midlands will be retained on either permanent or fixed term contracts when their training contracts expire this month. That's according to BCL Legal which has reported on average that between 70 and 100 per cent of newly trained lawyers will be kept on.
BCL Legal, which has an office in Birmingham, said it surveyed some of its biggest legal practice clients and the majority reported an increase or stabilisation in retention rates this year compared to 2009.
Firms including Keoghs and DWF retained 100 per cent of their trainee solicitors while Cobbetts, Beachcroft and Shoosmiths ranged between keeping between 70 and 81 per cent of newly qualified solicitors.
Vicky Clark, director of BCL Legal, said: "These figures are really encouraging and reflect a growing sense of confidence. There’s no doubt the market is still tough but many firms are now looking to develop certain areas through carefully managed business development strategies and NQs are an integral part of this."
