Law Update: Society tries to solve trainees' problems
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At the last count, trainee solicitors outnumbered jobs by around three to one. In 1993, 9,000 people applied for 6,000 places on the legal practice course (LPC) - the compulsory vocational training course - with only 3,770 training contracts available.
The Law Society has this week announced that it is to take steps in an attempt to deal with the problem. Nicholas Saunders, head of the society's legal education division, says: 'We do have a responsibility that students coming on the LPC must know what the job position is. One of the difficulties, however, is that the number of jobs available depends on the demands of the market and other factors out of the Law Society's control.'
Among the immediate steps to be taken is the broadening of the types of legal work-experience that will count towards the two- year training contract period, with greater flexibility in recognising overseas and previous employment. Attempts will also be made to encourage commerce, industry and local government to take on trainees.
The rules dictate that trainees must have experience in three areas of law, but these are defined quite flexibly, Mr Saunders says. 'We will encourage employers to offer placements, in private practice, for example,or even with clients.' The society also hopes to encourage the pooling of training contracts between legal aid and commercial firms.
A clearing house scheme for LPC graduates without training contracts will also be considered, as will ways of demonstrating the 'marketability' of trainees' skills to employers outside the legal profession.
'It would be wrong for the society to bend over backwards to discourage people from becoming solicitors, because this would imply that there was something wrong with the profession,' Mr Saunders says.
'The problem is that it is difficult to make accurate predictions. In 1990, for instance, there was a huge demand for trainees which couldn't be satisfied. All we can really do is say 'These are the facts, these are the trends'.'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments