Eversheds restarts graduate recruitment
05 March 2010
There was good news from Eversheds this week, as the firm confirmed that it would reanimate the lifeless corpse of its graduate recruitment programme.

In common with many firms last year, Eversheds deferred the start date for a bunch of its new trainees. Unlike many firms, however, it also announced a complete suspension of its graduate recruitment activities. A sorrowful note on the firm's website (see a screengrab here) said that as a result of the downturn it had made "the difficult decision not to accept further applications for Training Contracts". The firm said that it would assess the position again in 2010.

And, having duly assessed it, it's game on at the 'Shed. The firm confirmed yesterday that it would be taking on all 27 trainees it deferred from last year, together with the 49 other trainees who were due to start this year anyway - and who had themelves feared being deferred. It would also be inviting candidates to apply for future training contracts, was hoping to take on around 50 new trainees a year, would be announcing a manned space programme and would shortly begin drilling for oil beneath 1 Wood Street.

A well-maintained shed yesterday, with room for 49 new trainees

The news, coupled with some generally decent NQ retention rates across the board and even some meagre pay rises at some firms, all points to confidence finally starting to return to the legal services market.

Eversheds CEO Bryan Hughes said he was "delighted to be able to make this commitment to these talented people", and that it was important that "we again invest in the next generation of lawyers to underpin future growth". He declined to comment on the space programme*.

*Actually we didn't dare ask