Old school Slaughter and May is throwing caution to the wind and introducing qualification leave.

This September for the first time newly-qualified lawyers at the firm will be allowed to take up to three weeks of unpaid holiday and one week paid. Lots of firms already do this, but until recently Slaughters used outdoor clerks and quills, and NQs were only given time to collect a bigger ruff before they were locked back in their data rooms. As one flabbergasted source told RollOnFriday, "Woo".

Slaughters HR announces the news

Slaughters will only grant unpaid leave subject to the needs of the business, so trainees set to qualify into departments whose lawyers hiss at daylight are unlikely to get a four week break. But that's the case with most firms. In a year which has already seen Slaughters make its first ever lateral partner hire, staff will be more concerned with what's coming next as the firm roars into the 20th century, lighting the partners' dining room with the incandescent electric bulb or replacing the outdoor privy with Mr Thomas Crapper's patented Thunderbox.

Executive Partner Richard Clark said, "We are delighted to be giving our trainees the opportunity to have an extended break before they continue their careers with us and make the transition to life as associates".