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White & Case boosts maintenance grant by over 60% in response to ‘increased cost of living’

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Future trainees to receive £17k a year during LPC and GDL

White & Case has confirmed to Legal Cheek that it has increased financial support for future trainees taking the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL).

The international firm provided £10,500 in maintenance to its future joiners sitting the LPC, and has now increased this by over 60% to £17,000. Similarly, non-law graduates required to take the PGDL received £7,500 in financial support — a figure which has jumped a whopping 126% to £17,000. The firm also covers the cost of both courses.

In an email seen by Legal Cheek, White & Case told its future rookies that this move was in recognition of the “increased cost of living: which will create difficulties for many to meet [their] financial commitments”.

The 2022 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

The uplifts apply to future trainees commencing their studies from September with the University of Law.

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2022 shows the firm recruits around 50 trainees each year on a starting salary of £52,000.

The extra cash follows similar moves made by a raft of City firms. Most recently, Legal Cheek reported on Baker McKenzie introducing its ‘Baker Boost grant’ to support future trainees experiencing financial difficulties.

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19 Comments

Anonymous

Is this for 11 months or 7?

(3)(0)

Anon

W&C does the full length course

(7)(4)

1st seater

Nearly all firms do the full time 10 month one but you have to request the accelerated with Grad rec to do the 6 month one if you wish to do so

Same thing happened at my firm, quite a few asked grad rec to do the accelerated because they marked more leniently and you cover less content so it was somewhat easier and they got 10k to pocket for 6 months

(14)(2)

Jamie

Besides from Linklaters and a select few, all firms give their future trainees the option to both – you just have to ask

If you don’t ask them they will put you down for the full time 10 month one as a default

(7)(0)

Facts

When you say “other than a select few”, you mean other than the Consortium, A&O, CC, Bakers, and a number of other large-intake firms that don’t give you the option to choose between the two. By “all firms” you mean “all firms with a smaller intake”.

(7)(8)

@ Not Facts tho is it

Clearly you don’t have a TC yourself at one of these firms or friends at those firms because if you did you would know that they do let people do the accelerated if you ask lol

The one you listed CC – there are so many future trainees that I know who are doing the accelerated – in fact they are in my LPC class at BPP

Future Trainee W&C

It’s the same for both which is irritating. They never listen do they

(9)(7)

Fox

Very well done. How on earth you are supposed to live on 7-9k in the city is absolute madness.

(21)(0)

Bob

They should give the extra 7-10k added on top to the current future trainees. It’s only fair

(10)(8)

Gull Liver

If you live outside of Zone 1 living on £7k a month is manageable even these days.

(5)(16)

Orange Toad

It’s not 7k a month you idiot.

The firms give you 7-10k to live off for 10 months

(14)(3)

Gull Liver

Bless, Orange Toad thinks I am the idiot when they are the one falling into this little Angry Poster trap. Angry, dim and near a keyboard, a dangerous combination.

(3)(9)

The jig is up GL

Classic.

Says something stupid.

Gets caught out.

Pretends they were trolling all along.

Truth Serum

Ngl they should fully give the difference of this new grant to the current future trainees who are contracted at a lower amount of 7-10k

This goes for all firms

(17)(3)

ITK

They gave people completing the PGDL this year 2021-2022 a 5k booster

(3)(0)

Joe

It’s frustrating that all these law firms only succumb to the pay rises and grant increases once they are pressured by seeing their competitor firms doing so, who were also pestered by their future trainee cohorts.

Why don’t they just listen to us in the first place??

(12)(2)

Dan

Now I know how the associates feel about trainees who are gonna be on six figures at NQ when they had to wait several years PQE to reach that level.

I’ve just started my TC a few months ago and the 10k grant and it was a struggle to live off

Happy for those going forward but they really should have listened to us years ago when we complained

(12)(3)

826

Currently trying to live off a 5k grant, I feel your pain! Am very grateful, but am finding it difficult to do my PGDL full time and work, hopefully I can juggle better for the LPC!

(9)(0)

Crazy

Bonkers that firms like S&S, TW, RS and SH are still offering £6k – 8k …. nothing but impossible to live in London on that

(1)(0)

Comments are closed.

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