Welcome to the seventh edition of The Lex 100 - the insider's guide to the UK's top law firms.

Choosing firms to apply to is always going to be tough with so many options out there but if you want to find out exactly what it is like to train at one of the leading legal practices in the UK then this is most definitely the book for you. We sent out online surveys to 133 firms this year to ask those already in the hot-seat - current trainees - for their honest views about their firm. And we were overwhelmed with the number of responses that flooded in.

We asked trainees to rate important aspects of their working life, from general job satisfaction, amount of client contact and stress levels, to social life and confidence of being kept on. It certainly makes for some interesting reading (especially the best and worst moments!) and importantly it is one way of preparing you for some of the challenges ahead once you secure a contract... We have also put together tables, and a summary, of the leading firms in each category in our Lex 100 Winners section, which starts on page 9.

Thanks to our sister publications Legal Business and The Legal 500, you'll find details on law firm financials, including profts per partner, as well as a taster of clients and deals done. At the back of the book you will also find some helpful tips on getting the most out of careers fairs, assessment days and a list of current LPC providers.

Finally knowing that you may not want to carry your book around with you everywhere we will shortly be updating our Lex 100 app so that you can get firm information on the go. Don't forget about our Facebook page and website, where you can find lively debates on current legal issues, a forum to discuss your own hunt for a training contract with others and more tips from people in the field.... and keep an ear out for some Tweets coming from us soon.

The Lex 100 is concise but packed with useful information, bringing you everything that you need to know at every stage of your legal education - from your first day at law school to how to make that agonising decision when those top firms all start offering you a job!

We have again this year enjoyed reading about all of the experiences of those currently training and hope you will too. If you have any views or feedback then please do drop us a line - we would really like to hear from you.

Happy reading... and good luck!

Georgina Bennett-Warner,

Research editor, The Lex 100

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