The legal sector's recruitment processes "systematically advantage" applicants from more privileged backgrounds, thwarting recent efforts to widen access to the profession, a new government report has concluded.

The research by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission reveals that magic circle firms Clifford Chance (CC), Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughter and May each hired around 40% of their trainees from fee-paying schools.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer declined to respond to the request for this data, while Linklaters provided some data but not information at trainee or associate level.