SRA freezes trainee salaries

As predicted (see "Pupillage award goes up, min trainee salary stays same"), the SRA has announced that the minimum salary for trainees will remain frozen at 2009 levels.

The minimum salary for trainees working in London stays at £18,590, while for those working elsewhere in England and Wales, it will be £16,650. It further stipulates "recommended" salaries of £19,040 (London) and £16,940 (elsewhere).

Legal Futures reports that the Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) has reluctantly supported the SRA's decision. JLD chairwoman Judith Perkins explained why: "We are very alive to the fact that many of our members have incurred significant debts as a result of the legal education process, and of course we are firmly opposed to any law firm seeking to take advantage of someone's desire for a training contract by offering to pay a pittance in return for two years of extremely hard graft." She goes on: "[However], it would be incredibly disheartening for those seeking training contracts to see their chances of obtaining one diminished further due to firms (particularly those in sectors such as legal aid - already hard hit by recent cuts) having to reduce the number of training contracts they offer because they simply cannot afford a higher minimum salary in the current economic climate."