Non-British EU citizens make up 10-20 per cent of corporate firms’ London trainee intake and a change in their eligibility to work in the UK has been highlighted as the major concern for graduate recruitment teams in light of the referendum result. Of particular concern is the possibility that blocks on EU students will leave London’s top firms short of people with language skills.

Immediate effect

It is thought that EU students who already have training contracts will be fine, but those applying ahead of the 31 July recruitment deadline widely followed by London firms are likely to be affected. One legal graduate recruiter told Legal Cheek: ‘With law firms recruiting two years in advance, for 2018, which is of course around the time Britain is set to leave the EU, candidates’ eligibility to work will be a factor from now on in.’