Two top City firms have remained tight-lipped over the future of their specialist graduate training schemes after asking prospective trainees to start work a year later than planned.

Magic circle firms Clifford Chance and Linklaters, which have asked prospective trainees to volunteer to defer for a year, could not comment on whether they would reduce the number of places or the amount of maintenance funding for their specialist training courses.

The College of Law runs a legal practice course and graduate diploma in law programme tailored specifically for each firm.Allen & Overy, which also has tailored courses at the College of Law but has not asked trainees to defer, said it has ‘no current plans’ to alter contributions or places.

City firm LG has already said it will not take on new graduates in 2011, having asked its 2009 and 2010 intakes to defer for a year in return for £5,000 compensation.

Susan Blake, director of studies at City Law School, warned that cuts could be a false economy: ‘During the last recession there were cutbacks on traineeships, but then firms didn’t have new blood coming through for the upturn.’ Other big firms have continued to request that prospective trainees defer.

This week, City firm CMS Cameron McKenna asked its August 2009 and February 2010 intakes to volunteer to defer for a year, in return for £7,500 compensation. Last week, Linklaters asked 15 prospective trainees from its September 2009 and March 2010 intakes to defer for a year, in return for £10,000 compensation. Prospective trainees from its March 2010 intake were also offered £5,000 to defer for six months.

City firms Denton Wilde Sapte, Herbert Smith, LG, Lovells, Norton Rose, Olswang, Simmons & Simmons and ­Travers Smith, and national firms DLA Piper, Hammonds, Pinsent Masons and Shoosmiths, have already begun either voluntary or compulsory deferral schemes.