Three US firms have been rated among the best vacation scheme providers in the UK market, with Legal Week research also seeing Allen & Overy (A&O) identified by students as the most prestigious global law firm for the second year running.

The Legal Week Intelligence 2011 Law Student Report saw Latham & Watkins and Baker & McKenzie take the top two spots for UK vacation schemes, with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton coming in fourth place behind Ashurst.

Other firms to feature within the top 10 include Linklaters, A&O, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Norton Rose. Mills & Reeve and Pinsent Masons were the highest-placed national firms, ranking 11th and 12th respectively.

Latham London managing partner Nick Cline commented: "The firm's London office has the advantage of offering high-profile deals for prestigious clients while also maintaining a small office environment."

Separately, the study by Legal Week's research arm found A&O voted as the most prestigious international law firm for the second year running, with Macfarlanes and Eversheds topping the City and national law firm categories respectively.

Students were asked to name their top five law firms in each category, benchmarking them against a range of criteria including prestige, training, career development, work/life balance and equal opportunities.

In the international law firm category, A&O was cited as a top five choice by 45% of respondents, 7% above joint second-placed firms Slaughter and May and Clifford Chance.

Macfarlanes and Clyde & Co held the top two spots in the City firm category, with Eversheds and Addleshaw Goddard holding the equivalent places in the national firm rankings.

Commenting on the rankings, Slaughters practice partner Paul Olney said: "We like to think that what we have to offer is interesting and distinctive and we put a considerable effort into getting this message across to potential recruits."

Bakers graduate recruitment partner Vincent Keaveny commented: "Law students today are interested in a career in an international context and want to work within a diverse culture, such as ours."

Ashurst graduate recruitment partner David Carter (pictured) commented: "At the end of our placements, we want students to be able to answer one fundamental question – do you want to become a lawyer? It is important that they get swept along by the excitement and buzz of doing deals."

• For more detail on the research, contact Paul Birk on 0207 316 9864 or email [email protected].