All five magic circle firms named in Times rankings
Thirteen City law firms have been included in a prestigious ranking of leading graduate employers — more than any other industry.
Clifford Chance leads the way, coming in at 26 in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers for 2019/20.
The Canary Wharf outfit is joined by a dozen other top commercial firms, including the four traditionally making up the magic circle. Allen & Overy is second among law firms at 32 overall, while Linklaters is third at 45. Norton Rose Fulbright rejoins the list after slipping off it for a couple of years. There are more law firms on the list than any other industry sector.
The prison service’s ‘Unlocked’ grad scheme also makes its debut at number 49, while the civil service tops the list overall.
The ranking is compiled by asking around 20,000 final year students from 34 unis the question “which employer do you think offers the best opportunities for graduates?”. The more times an employer is mentioned unprompted, the higher its place on the list.
Law firms in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2019/20
| Rank | Firm | Change |
| 26 | Clifford Chance | +10 |
| 32 | Allen & Overy | +6 |
| 45 | Linklaters | -5 |
| 58 | Slaughter and May | +2 |
| 63 | Baker McKenzie | +2 |
| 66 | Herbert Smith Freehills | -18 |
| 76 | DLA Piper | -18 |
| 83 | Freshfields | -21 |
| 84 | Pinsent Masons | +15 |
| 89 | Hogan Lovells | -13 |
| 90 | CMS | -1 |
| 92 | Norton Rose Fulbright | N/A |
| 93 | White & Case | -13 |
| 94 | Irwin Mitchell | +1 |