Magic circle law firms: the five firms, trainee pay and how to get in
Find the five firms, sourced trainee and NQ salaries, the AAB to AAA entry grades and the route from sixth form to qualifying through the SQE.
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The magic circle is the nickname for five London law firms: A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Linklaters and Slaughter and May. Trainees at all five firms earn £56,000 in their first year and £61,000 in their second, and all five pay newly qualified solicitors £150,000 in London. The academic bar is AAB to AAA at A-Level and a 2:1 degree, in any subject. You can join with or without a law degree, through a two-year training contract and the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).
Which firms are in the magic circle?
There are five, all headquartered in London and all focused on large corporate and finance work for companies, banks and governments around the world.
- A&O Shearman, formed in 2024 when Allen & Overy merged with the US firm Shearman & Sterling
- Clifford Chance
- Freshfields (formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer)
- Linklaters
- Slaughter and May
Slaughter and May is the odd one out in shape. It has far fewer overseas offices than the other four and works with "best friend" firms abroad instead. It takes about 85 trainees a year, which gives you a sense of how small each intake is compared with the number of applicants.
Why is it called the magic circle?
Legal journalists came up with the name in the 1990s to describe the five leading London firms of the time. It was never an official group, and no firm applied to join. Chambers Student describes it as shorthand for the five most prestigious London corporate firms.
That matters for one practical reason. The label doesn't change how you apply. Each firm runs its own schemes, deadlines and assessments, so you research and apply to them one by one.
How much do magic circle trainees and NQs earn?
Trainee pay is £56,000 in year one and £61,000 in year two at all five firms. Newly qualified (NQ) solicitors at all five earn £150,000 in London. Freshfields moved NQ pay from £125,000 to £150,000 in May 2024 and the other four matched it. A September 2026 Legal Cheek table lists all five at £150,000 for 2027.
| Firm | Trainee year 1 | Trainee year 2 | NQ salary (London) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Freshfields | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
Source: A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfields listing on TargetJobs, Legal Cheek NQ pay table, Legal Cheek trainee pay table, Linklaters, Slaughter and May. Last checked: 13 November 2026.
These are starting salaries before tax, for London. Firms review pay most years, so check the firm's own careers page before you quote a figure in an interview or a personal statement.
What A-Level grades and degree do magic circle firms ask for?
The bar is AAB to AAA at A-Level and a 2:1 degree. Two firms state AAB on their training contract pages and Linklaters asks for AAA:
- Linklaters asks for AAA at A-Level or equivalent and a 2:1 across all undergraduate modules.
- A&O Shearman asks for AAB (136 UCAS points) or equivalent, a 2:1, and seven GCSEs at grade 6 or above including maths and English.
- Slaughter and May asks for AAB, not counting the EPQ, and a strong 2:1, ideally at least 65% in most modules each year.
- Clifford Chance asks for a 2:1 or above and doesn't state an A-Level grade on its current listing.
- Freshfields asks for AAB and seven GCSEs at grade 6 or above for its solicitor apprenticeship.
None of these pages name required A-Level subjects. What counts is the grades, so pick subjects you can do well in. If you want to see how AAB converts, our UCAS points table shows it is 136 points. Firms also take mitigating circumstances into account, and both A&O Shearman and Slaughter and May say so on their pages.
If AAB is your target, regular exam practice is where the marks come from. Medly AI covers A-Level subjects across AQA, Edexcel, OCR and other boards, with content checked by qualified teachers, including senior examiners. You can practise questions and get feedback on your answers on Medly's free plan, which includes 5 marked questions, 20 AI tutor messages and 1 uploaded paper a day.
Which universities do magic circle firms recruit from?
Magic circle firms recruit graduates from any university and any degree subject, so there's no official list of target universities. Rather than worrying about unofficial "target university" lists online, focus on building a strong application.
In practice, your degree result counts more than the university's name on these pages: a 2:1 is the minimum, and Slaughter and May sets a 65% marker. Choose a university and course where you can do your best work. Our guide to UCAS deadlines walks through each step of applying for 2027 entry.
How do you get a training contract at a magic circle firm?
To qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales, the SRA requires four things: a degree in any subject (or an equivalent level 6 qualification), passes in SQE1 and SQE2, two years of qualifying work experience, and a character and suitability check. At a magic circle firm, your two-year training contract provides the work experience.
Firms hire early. Slaughter and May says it usually recruits two to three years before the start date. Clifford Chance's current listing closes on 18 November 2026 for trainees starting in August 2029 or February 2030.
| Stage | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Year 12 and 13 | A-Levels, open days, virtual insight events, solicitor apprenticeship applications |
| Early years at university | Spring programmes and open days at the firms |
| Penultimate year (law students) | Vacation schemes and training contract applications |
| Final year (non-law students) | Training contract applications in the autumn |
| After your degree | PGDL law conversion if you didn't study law, then SQE preparation and exams |
| Training contract | Two years as a paid trainee, rotating through different teams |
| Qualification | You join the firm as a newly qualified solicitor |
Source: SRA, Slaughter and May, A&O Shearman. Last checked: 13 November 2026.
Vacation schemes are paid placements of a week or more where you work alongside trainees and lawyers. Linklaters pays £520 per week. Slaughter and May calls its version Summer Work Experience Schemes, and the 2027 schemes have a closing date of 4 December 2026. You don't need previous legal work experience: Slaughter and May says it looks for evidence of interest, such as open days or virtual insight programmes.
The firms also cover the cost of the study. Clifford Chance funds the PGDL and SQE and pays a maintenance grant while you study. At A&O Shearman, non-law graduates take an eight-month PGDL and then a 12-month SQE preparation course before starting.
Can you join a magic circle firm straight from sixth form?
Yes, through a solicitor apprenticeship. You work at the firm, get paid, study for a law degree and qualify through the SQE, without paying tuition fees. Freshfields runs one with an AAB entry requirement (applications close on 21 January 2027 for a September 2027 start), and Slaughter and May's 2027 apprenticeship has a closing date of 6 January 2027.
Places are few and competitive, so many students apply for both apprenticeships and university. If you're in Year 13 now, the two routes run side by side and you can keep both open until you have offers.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a law degree to join a magic circle firm?
No. All five take non-law graduates. If you didn't study law, you take a law conversion course (the PGDL) before the SQE, and firms such as Clifford Chance pay for it.
What A-Levels do you need for a magic circle law firm?
No specific subjects are required on the pages we checked. A&O Shearman and Slaughter and May both ask for AAB, and Slaughter and May doesn't count the EPQ towards it. Linklaters asks for AAA.
How much does a magic circle trainee earn?
£56,000 in year one and £61,000 in year two at all five firms, checked on 13 November 2026. Newly qualified solicitors at all five firms earn £150,000 in London.
Do magic circle firms pay for the SQE?
Yes, for the trainees they hire. Clifford Chance funds the PGDL and SQE and adds a maintenance grant, and A&O Shearman offers financial support during the PGDL.
Do you need legal work experience to get a vacation scheme?
No. Slaughter and May says legal work experience isn't required for its schemes or training contract. It wants to see that you've explored the career, for example through open days or insight events.
Is A&O Shearman still in the magic circle?
Yes. A&O Shearman formed in 2024 from the merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, and it is still listed as one of the five.