Clifford Chance (CC) and Slaughter and May have followed Linklaters’ lead in raising their trainee grants, throwing down the gauntlet to leading London rivals fighting to attract the brightest student lawyers.

The change, announced internally at CC on Tuesday (13 September), sees the firm raise Legal Practice Course (LPC) maintenance grants by 40% to £7,000 per year from the current figure of £5,000 in London.