The Magic Oxbridge Circle
Reaching the top – Graduating from Oxbridge dramatically improves your chances of MC stardom, particularly at Freshfields and Slaughters…
Where nearly half the trainees graduate from Oxford or Cambridge.
According to Legal Week research; in the last two years, Freshfields sourced 44% of its intake from Oxbridge and Slaughters 48%. Whilst the average Oxbridge count across all of the magic circle firms was 38%.
Which is hardly surprising. The fact that elite law firms want to take on graduates from elite universities makes perfect sense whatever advocates of mediocrity would prefer. And there’s no more elite in the UK than Oxford or Cambridge. Factor in the probability it was ever thus and there lies a self-perpetuating cycle.
So, for school children intent on becoming trainees at magic circle firms it’s simple – get yourself to Oxford or Cambridge to stand the best chance. Failing that go for a Times newspaper top 10 university.
Like so many things in life, simple but not easy.
March 25, 2010
This just confirms what everyone knows. Fine by me. However, if the Labour party’s social engineers get hold of it they will quickly throw together some knee-jerk legislation to force 3rd grade students from Newcastle poly down the Magic Circle’s throat.
God help us.
March 25, 2010
These stats actually surprise me slightly, I don’t feel like I’m suffocating in Oxbridge company when I’m with a lot of mc lawyers but I guess you never know.
March 25, 2010
“suffocating in Oxbridge company” interesting turn of phrase. Hmmm.
March 26, 2010
I don’t know about suffocating, but quite a lot of them can be insufferable – esp. the Cambridge grads. The Oxford grads I knew on the BVC (and there were a lot of both) all seemed perfectly nice people. The Cambridge grads, though, were incredibly conceited (without being noticeably talented), vain and boastful, and while Oxford grads spoke in perfectly normal Received Pronunciation for the most part, the Cambridge graduates, every man-jack and woman-jill of them appeared to be in continuous training for a Brian Sewell impersonation contest.
March 26, 2010
Earth shattering. Not.
March 26, 2010
One thing I do find about Oxford and Cambridge graduates is that it’s normally one of the first things they want to tell you about themselves. Without intending to be ironic, I know this because I am one.
March 26, 2010
Newcastle does not have a poly ,,but it does have the best medical school in the uk
March 26, 2010
Typical lawyer background – private and privileged education instilling a deep sense of worth over and above ‘normal’ people. Easy entrance to a university of their choice (often Durham, Exeter or Bristol, most being unable to make the Oxbridge grade despite a fortune spent on education) to study and party for four years, one at law school. Easy entrance to a law firm of their choice (often using daddy’s old chums or just ticking all those boxes beloved of HR) and then watch as the pounds flow in for what is an average days work using less than impressive intelligence but great ’social’ skills ie, dealing with people who have the exact same background, both at their firm and on the other side of transactions, and indeed their clients who are also public school educated. THIS PRODUCES GROUP THINK, on a huge and detrimental scale. Lawyer has kids, who are sent to same public school as daddy and the whole cycle starts again. This set up does nothing to promote the best, just the wealthy. It does nothing to promote the most intelligent, just the wealthy. And it does nothing to stop greed, it just enriches already wealthy people. Welcome to social mobility Britain!