The number of trainee solicitors earning less than the recommended minimum salary has fallen by a third
updated on 09 January 2019
The number of trainee solicitors earning less than the Law Society’s recommended minimum salary has fallen by a third compared to last year, according to new research.
A survey of 500 trainees by recruitment firm Douglas Scott found that 25% of respondents were being paid less than the recommended minimum – a significant figure, but a decrease on last year’s survey results which found that 38% of trainees were being significantly underpaid at the start of 2018.
The minimum salary recommended by the Law Society is currently £19,122 outside London and £21,561 in the capital, but it remains only optional firms since the mandatory minimum salary was abolished by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in 2014.
Jon-Paul Hanrahan, associate director at Douglas Scott Legal Recruitment commented on the research: “This is good news. W have been tracking trainee pay awards for some time now and this year does feel different. Law firms have reacted positively to criticism, as our research also revealed that 45% of trainee solicitors received a pay rise this year compared to 35% in 2018 and for many it brought them above the threshold for the first time.”
