Culture

• "There is a very friendly and open working environment (we often share an office with a partner or associate) and there is definitely an open door policy. Trainees definitely support each other, and it is not uncommon for work to be passed from one trainee to another if one suddenly has a large work load. Trainees do socialise together, but equally this is not forced upon you, it is entirely up to each individual how much they get involved." -- First year trainee
• "There's a very good support structure. During a period when I was working really late, I had a call from HR to ask if I was okay and whether they could do anything to help. The secretaries and office support are great and you are encouraged to use the systems support to get the work done more efficiently. I've always found co-trainees willing and eager to help me out when I've been swamped, and have equally taken on work for others. I won't say it can't be tough at times – it can be very tough at times – but it's made easier by the fact that the environment helps you deal with it. The atmosphere is very collegiate – trainees tend to lunch together and if we're staying later we go for dinner together. Fridays after work drinks at the Artillery Arms are a staple. The Trainee Solicitors Committee organises a range of socials – typically smaller events for intakes and three large events a year for all trainees." -- First year trainee
• "Trainees are generally friendly and supportive. There are several social and sports clubs available, as well as a range of corporate-sponsor promotional offers. People frequently go for drinks at the local pub on Thursdays and Fridays. The atmosphere is extremely professional and organised. The firm is generally quite conservative in terms of business practice but very open-minded in other terms. Social interaction tends to be on the formal side to begin with and the general atmosphere may appear cool, but once people get to know one another the lawyers here reveal themselves to be very intelligent and personable." -- First year trainee
• "The atmosphere in the office is friendly but reserved. There are no billable hours targets or weighted pay, which means there is no competition between any fee-earners. Sometimes a large volume of work can put people under strain. Between trainees there is a good atmosphere with socialising largely informal, centred on the local pub on a Friday evening. The trainee committee does a good job." -- First year trainee
• "The firm is probably a little more ‘boring’ than elsewhere in terms of social life, but at the same time, it's nice not to feel forced to go out, e.g. to secure qualification to a particular group (which I understand happens elsewhere). Also, while there are not so many firm events, trainees do organise to socialise with each other outside of work in any case. That said, sometimes it would be nice not to be so serious all the time! Within work, the culture is very professional. People are nice and approachable in general. It is quite hierarchical though, in terms of how you're treated as a trainee, which I imagine can be particularly annoying for people who've had other careers etc. before coming here. There is no real feeling of competition amongst trainees (and it is not encouraged)." -- Second year trainee
• "Slaughter and May seem to choose like-minded people so we all get on well, socialise together and are good friends. However actual social events organised by the firm for trainees are fairly limited." -- First year trainee
• "The firm has a good environment to work well in; people are focussed and it makes the day more efficient, which I find to be a plus. The trainees here are very friendly towards one another, there is no feeling that there is competition between the trainees and if anyone is finding a task hard, or is confused, usually a quick email to all trainees will answer the question. The trainees do get along very well in the firm, but outside of the firm, there is not much organised, apart from the pub on Friday nights. Although the working environment is good, at times because of the hierarchical nature of the firm, when doing work for a partner they can be very intimidating and there is not a sense that you can ask them questions." -- First year trainee
• "The firm is conservative, especially so the further up the ladder you look, and it lives up to its reputation. Trainees are generally very supportive of each other though." -- Second year trainee
• "Intellectual, witty, fun and respectful." -- Second year trainee
• "Friendly culture, partners are approachable and don’t leave you totally alone to get on with work without making sure you're okay, etc. ‘Open office’ culture so I feel I can ask other associates anything if I have questions. Trainees (by and large) are treated as equals. I think they get good work a lot of the time, as well as more administrative things. My trainee works through legal problems with me so isn’t just there to do photocopying. Things are a bit lacking socially. We have a few departmental parties a year and a firm dinner which is good. Outside that, there are not many pub trips (unless someone is leaving)." -- Junior solicitor, Corporate
• "The firm is very hierarchical and in many respects, some of the partners distance themselves too much from the rest of the members of the firm. Solicitors certainly support each other and are always happy to share experiences and offer advice. I socialise a lot with my colleagues, although this is almost always organised through our own initiative rather than by the firm." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "The firm has a very collegiate atmosphere; there is no sense of colleagues competing with one another. I have always felt able to approach peers for advice on points of law/practical issues I am unsure of. That said, the firm retains an intensely hierarchical culture (though this is perhaps inherent in law firms generally). While solicitors within the form do socialise occasionally, there is never any obligation to spend time with colleagues outside of working hours. This is a big plus." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Banking
• "Extremely supportive environment exists amongst solicitors, which complements the high level of responsibility we are expected to assume. We do have social events, which are always well organised and smart, but this is not really a major part of the firm." -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "I generally find in my department that on a transaction, you will be working with a partner and senior associate. Both are readily available for any questions/queries. Again, in my department, solicitors do socialise together, but this is not necessarily so in other departments." -- Junior solicitor
• "A very hierarchical firm. Associates are close, but there isn't a huge amount of socialising – when people finish work, they tend to want to get home, which is fair enough! It makes work/life balance a bit easier in my opinion." -- Mid-level solicitor
• "There's a very simple hierarchy. Partners and everyone else. Solicitors do support each other. Decent atmosphere and most are genuinely willing to offer advice whenever. There’s limited socialising as you get more senior. I have noticed trainees and more junior associates socialising a lot more, inevitable though as you start to have a family." -- Mid-level solicitor, Property

Hours

• "One great aspect to the firm is that there are no billing targets. Work hours vary hugely. When it is busy, it is very busy and one is expected to stay and get the work done, at whatever hour that may be. Twelve hour days are not unusual, but are not generally the norm." -- Second year trainee
• "I am generally working between 35 and 40 hours a week, sometimes less and sometimes more. From conversations with colleagues this is fairly average for trainees, although workloads can vary widely due to the nature of the work – particularly in the corporate groups. This is less than I expected but the jump to associate hours is expected to be quite great (particularly when we are given BlackBerries!)." -- First year trainee
• "Varies enormously. My worst week I billed 92 hours and had 10 hours sleep in total from Monday morning until Friday evening. Some weeks I bill next to nothing and am bored out of my mind once I have finished doing all the training I can face for that day." -- Second year trainee
• "This varies wildly according to what is going on at the time in the department. In my first seat, it was a consistent 10pm/11pm finish for a while. In my second seat, it was quite quiet and I was leaving very regularly at 5.30pm. On the whole, it's probably around about what I expected." -- Second year trainee
• "Trainees here generally seem to get a much better deal than at other Magic Circle/top City firms. This is possibly because we don't have BlackBerries (and the flip-side is less responsibility). There is a general culture that if work doesn't have to be done that night, you should go home and, in general, most trainees are out the building by 7or 8pm (and we don't start before 9.30am). Also, I've only worked one weekend. Some people get unlucky with the deal they're on and get killed but I think you would do anywhere. Hours are definitely less than I'd expected. It gets worse as an associate though!" -- Second year trainee
• "Very variable – there are times when I'm out at 5.30 all week, and times when I have slept in the office or pulled an all-nighter. It all depends on the work." -- First year trainee
• "My hours have been irregular and unpredictable, sometimes work is very quiet and at other times it is manic. There have been periods where I worked between 70 and 90 hours a week and there have been periods where I left every day at 5.30pmIn departments which can get manic there seems to be a relaxed attitude towards time in the office when things are quiet, which is a nice recompense for the times you are rarely away from your desk. I knew that I was coming to a corporate firm and I expected to work hard but what has surprised me is how unpredictable it is. It is very hard to get into any sort of a routine, either one adapted to spending all your time in the office or one more suited to having the occasional weekday evening free. As a result, after busy periods I have felt at a bit of a loss in the evenings and at the beginning of a busy period I end up cancelling things all the time and consequently feeling a bit glum." -- First year trainee
• "Working hours vary drastically from department to department. In a property seat, I worked an average 8 – 9 hour day for weeks on end, leaving the office at around 6pm. However, obviously on a corporate deal the hours can be longer in the run-up to deadlines and I have had nights where I've worked until 1 or 2am. However this is only done when absolutely necessary and in general I don't feel that my hours have been that bad. In my corporate seat my hours were definitely less than I expected, but other trainees and friends of mine have had very different experiences where they have worked incredibly long hours. It just depends on the deal, the team, the client's expectations and priorities and ultimately the timetable to which you have to work for whatever reason." -- Second year trainee
• "It's fairly periodic. If you are busy you can work 6/7 days a week beyond midnight for several weeks trying to close something out. I would say that happens about three or four times a year on average, though it varies from department to department. Typically I bill over 40 hours a week though. Probably looking to average out to 8:30am – 7:30pm when it’s quieter, though there is a decent amount of logging in remotely in the evenings/at weekends, even when not that busy. Certainly no worse (or even as bad) as colleagues at other similar firms I don't think." -- Mid-level solicitor, Property
• "Monthly hours billed usually ranges between 150 and 200. I probably spend on average between 40 and 50 hours in the office per week, but at other times it has been significantly higher, depending on workload. The hours are dictated by the client's needs and so they can be flexible at times depending on the transaction." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "I would bill a minimum of 40 hours generally and would spend at least 50 hours in the office a week. There has been no problem having holiday leave when I have requested it." -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "I bill on average 40 hours a week, which probably means I spend around 50 hours in the office (never sure where that extra two hours goes!). We have no billing targets, which means on quiet weeks you leave when you like. It goes someway to making up for the busy weeks! Slaughters treats you like a grown-up, so as long as you're getting the work done, no-one's going to be commenting on your hours." -- Mid-level solicitor
• "It's what you would expect from a City law firm – can be long days, can be short days. Sometimes weekends, although this is discouraged by the partners, which is very good." -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "Long hours are the nature of our job. Sometimes I've had 13 billed hours a day for months. Other times, maybe 20 billed hours a week. We can’t buy extra holiday. By and large they’re flexible about leave. I’ve never been asked to shorten or cancel my holiday and I don’t know anyone who has had this experience. They don’t force you to work at a particular time (so long as you do the work and are available for when the client needs you)." -- Junior solicitor, Corporate

Pay

• "£61,500" -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "£62,500" -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "£68,000" -- Junior solicitor
• "£71,500" -- Junior solicitor
• "£84,000" -- Mid-level solicitor
• "£85,000" -- Mid-level solicitor
• "£92,000" -- Mid-level solicitor
• "£96,000" -- Mid-level solicitor
• "£100,000" -- Mid-level solicitor
• "Salaries here are competitive for trainees. The associate salary bands are on the low side given the firm's revenues, the complexity of the work and the hours which associates frequently work. This is presumably seen as a trade-off for excellent brand name and a slightly reduced partnership track." -- First year trainee
• "Given the profitability of the firm, the remuneration could be a little more competitive. Many non-Magic Circle firms have better salary structures." -- Second year trainee
• "The trainees' salaries are competitive. We also get a bonus which is a percentage of your salary, no matter how many hours of work you put in. This is very good as most firms do not give bonuses to trainees, and the ones that do base it on working time." -- Second year trainee
• "The amount of money we get paid for two years of education is pretty good, although they do take the proverbial pound of flesh!" -- First year trainee
• "It's very good, especially considering the economic climate and the cuts experienced in other firms." -- Second year trainee
• "Pay is excellent and an 8 per cent bonus was paid to all fee earners." -- First year trainee
• "Trainee salaries are pretty much market rate but we get bonuses, which is better than other firms." -- Second year trainee
• "Trainee pay is fair and pretty comparable to other firms. Bonuses haven't been great of late – unsurprisingly perhaps!" -- Second year trainee
• "The pay is behind where it should be considering the hours worked and the remuneration offered by the firm's competitors." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "We get paid less than other Magic Circle firms I think, but that's largely because of the bonus. And I would trade no billing targets for a bonus any day!" -- Mid-level solicitor
• "I am happy with my salary – it is a lot of money to earn at the beginning of my career. However, I am aware that a lot of other firms of a similar size/reputation do pay a lot more. On the whole, paying everyone the same % of their salary as a bonus is fair, but it can feel frustrating if you have recently been working particularly long hours." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate
• "There is a sense that we are not quite competitive with the other Magic Circle law firms (and clearly a million miles from the American firms). Considering we charge premium rates, and the standard expected of us is so high, this is a bit disappointing." -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "Bonuses are the same % of salary for all legal staff and salaries are banded but the basis upon which staff are differentiated between bands is not clear." -- Mid-level solicitor, Litigation
• "I think we need a larger bonus. It seems possible to get 20% at other firms reasonably easily whereas here it is a set rate across the firm with no way to increase it, which is somewhat demotivating. Base salary looks a lot but once you are married/having children it doesn't go very far (particularly living in/near London). We also seem to get paid slightly less than contemporaries at other comparable firms, which is frustrating. Particularly frustrating when you see PEP on the rise but I guess that is the business model." -- Mid-level solicitor, Property
• "Doesn’t match the US firms so we've lost a number of people to them (work the same hours for double our pay!). We don’t have much visibility on how they calculate the bonus! It's given as a percentage of your salary which is the same % across the firm. The % varies according to the profits of the firm that year (presumably!)." -- Junior solicitor, Corporate

Interviews & Assessments

• "A highly commendable ‘no nonsense’ approach to recruitment, which consists of a covering letter and CV and then one interview with two partners based on the information you have provided, and a more general discussion on a topic of your choice." -- Second year trainee
• "The application process is very straight forward. You have to send a CV and cover letter and, if you get selected, there is only one interview (with two partners) as opposed to the usual two (one with partners and one with HR) which other firms have. The first half of the interview is about you as a candidate so it consists of the usual questions about your experiences, reasons for applying to the job, etc. The second half consists of a discussion on a current affairs topic which you cannot prepare in advance. We recently started having a literacy test too." -- Second year trainee
• "There was only one round – it was a 90 minute (I am told that's a long one) chat with two partners. They had my CV and took me through it with real interest about what I had done and was going to, and what my aspirations were. I felt they were genuinely interested in getting to know me. They want to know whether they can envision the person sitting in front of them as a colleague and someone they would work with. I was offered a cup of tea and cakes at the start – not that I ate any! This was over three years ago and the process hasn't changed except for the fact that they give you an article to read in advance and then discuss it with you." -- First year trainee
• "My interview consisted of a discussion of my CV with some questions about my vac schemes and other experiences. I remember talking a lot about history and very little about the law. I have heard of Italian students talking about Dante." -- First year trainee
• "I had one interview with two partners which lasted an hour. It was the only place I interviewed. I remember it being pretty intense – I felt like they were trying to get to a point where I had no prepared answers to see how I reacted. Some of the questions I got were very open. Two that stick in my head are: ‘What do you think about the death penalty?’ and ‘Compare Russian and German as languages.’ I think they want you to disagree with them and fight your corner." -- Second year trainee
• "The interview process is quite unusual. You send in a CV and cover letter and then have a 45 minute interview with two partners. The interview is a bit more like a chat than a formal interview. They focus on what you have done and enjoyed at university, so you get the chance to lead the conversation to areas you want to talk about. You do get the usual questions such as ‘Why law?’ and ‘Why corporate law, in particular?’" -- Second year trainee
• "I thought the selection process at the firm is eminently sensible; CV, covering letter and one interview. I couldn't believe how long other firms' application forms were when I saw other people applying during the GDL year – astonishing and surely a waste of time. Everyone here seems really bright, keen and capable so I hope they don't change anything." -- First year trainee
• "One interview round and the interview is informal, more about the personality of the candidate. The first half of the interview is based on a case study, which actually could be about anything, not just a commercial topic. I thoroughly enjoyed my interview as the case study allowed me to voice my opinions about the NHS and the provision of expensive drugs. The partners seemed very interested in me as a person, which I thought was quite unique." -- First year trainee
• "When I was interviewed it was just an hour long conversation with two partners about your CV, your degree, your reasons for applying, etc. Very much just a ‘get to know you’ to see whether you fit the firm and whether the firm fits you. Some difficult (but not commercial/technical) questions which were clearly just designed to see how you react under pressure or when contradicted." -- Second year trainee
• "The process involves submission of a CV and one interview with two partners. The interview tends to involve discussion of an article provided shortly before the interview, then a chat about the candidate's interest in the law, before a more general discussion. I found the whole process very informal and I found out the day after my interview that I had been given a training contract." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate
• "Interview with two partners (one older, one younger, both male). One hour (or so) interview on random topics including the Godfather films, Italian culture, pseudonyms, poetry. Question: ‘Are you competitive?’ (answer: ‘of course’)" -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "One round – two partners – there is now a short summary email to write as a written test, plus an informal discussion involving a chat about a recent topical newspaper article. Six years ago, I had only the informal chat." -- Junior solicitor
• "I had one interview with two partners. The process itself seems fairly sensible and civilised but I understand, in the current market, it's increasingly tricky." -- Mid-level solicitor, Property
• "I was a lateral associate hire. I had two interviews – each with two partners. The first was a more friendly chat to get to know a couple of partners and to know a bit about the firm. The second was a more challenging interview that focussed on gaps and negative points in my CV and academic transcript. I was asked to explain the difference between ‘law’ and ‘justice’." -- Mid-level solicitor, Litigation
• "I had one interview with two partners. The format was informal." -- Junior solicitor, Banking