KCL masters comes with £20k maintenance grant
Magic Circle law firm Freshfields has announced a new partnership with King’s College London (KCL) law school, offering future trainees a fully sponsored LLM in technology and law. The programme will cover topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), media, and crypto, with £20,000 in maintenance support included.
The firm describes the programme as a “first” for a law firm, highlighting its commitment to investing in “upskilling” the next generation of lawyers and meeting evolving client demands. Mark Sansom, managing partner for London and Dublin, said the initiative will “turbocharge” trainees’ “professional and personal growth”.
KCL describes the course as a “rare opportunity” for academic training at the intersection of law and technology. Electives on offer cover a range of heady topics, including AI, cryptocurrencies, cyberspace law, energy transitions and green tech, to name a few.
All this usually comes at a cost — but not for trainees. KCL’s LLMs typically cost over £20,000 for full-time students, rising to more than £35,000 for international students.
Besides covering the bill, Freshfields trainees studying the LLM will also receive a hefty £20,000 maintenance grant. After concluding their LLM, they’ll step into earning at least £56k as first year trainees, which increases to £61k in year two.
Eligible rookies will include future trainees in the firm’s February 2026, August 2026, and February 2027 cohorts. A group in the August 2025 intake will have the opportunity to spearhead the programme this September.
Sansom said:
“We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with King’s College London to support the next generation of legal professionals. As technology and innovation continues to shape the legal industry, our firm is meeting that opportunity head on by investing in the upskilling of trainees at the very start of their careers. This opportunity allows them to develop valuable skills, turbocharge their professional and personal growth, and align with our strategic direction as a global firm.”
Alongside studies, the lucky cohorts will have opportunities to collaborate with Freshfields’ innovation team and the Freshfields lab, plus the firm will check in throughout students’ LLM studies.
KCL’s Professor Dan Hunter, the Dickson Poon School of Law’s executive dean, added: “It is fantastic to partner with Freshfields in supporting the next generation of legal professionals. Trainees undertaking the LL.M will become part of the global legal community of one of the world’s finest law schools, and benefit from the breadth and depth of our academic expertise in artificial intelligence and digital law.”
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