City law firm trust looks to US practices for cashUS law firms are looking to join with ten City counterparts in educating the solicitors of the future, it emerged this week, as the City Solicitors Educational Trust announced grants of 500,000 for legal education institutions.This brings the total raised by the trust - funded by Allen & Overy, Ashurst Morris Crisp, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, Linklaters, Lovells, Macfarlanes, Penningtons, and Slaughter and May - to almost 5 million since it was created in 1989.The money raised for the academic year 2001/02 will help support seven law lectureships, and purchase library and other resources in eight other institutions around England.

The trust operates independently of the individual firms' interests; Bristol University is receiving funding for a criminal law lecturer.The trust's chairman, Guy Whalley, urged law firms to get involved.

'[We are] very conscious of how much more support, in real terms, is needed by law teaching institutions in face of the continuing decline in value of government funding and of how much more could be achieved if more City law firms were prepared to become subscribers,' he said.The trust's administrator, Michael Maunsell, said it would be looking to raise awareness amongst firms.

The trust is in talks with US firms which have expressed interest in contributing, he added.Paula Rohan