Extra £500 living costs allowance on top of £750 weekly pay
US law firm Cleary has increased the salaries of its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers in London to £172,500, while also introducing a new £500 allowance for vacation schemers.
The pay boost marks a rise of almost 5%, or an additional £8,000, from the previous NQ rate of £164,500.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2027 shows the increase puts Cleary ahead of the likes of Jones Day, Orrick and Weil (£170,000), and just behind Paul Hastings, Morgan Lewis and Fried Frank (£173,000).
The outfit has also upped trainee solicitor salaries to £62,500 in year one and £67,500 in year two.
Separately, Cleary has introduced a new £500 allowance for all vacation scheme participants to help cover living costs. This comes on top of the £750 weekly payment vac schemers already receive.
The firm, which takes on around 16 trainees each year, says the additional financial support is designed to make its vacation schemes more accessible to candidates from all backgrounds.
Applications for Cleary’s winter vacation scheme are now open, with applications for its spring and summer schemes also being accepted until 29 January 2027. You can check out deadlines for all the leading law firms on our Key Deadlines Calendar.