One year on from announcing its first recommended minimum salary for trainee lawyers in November 2015, the Law Society has reviewed its recommendation to firms and recommended modest increases to the minimum annual salary for trainees both within and outside of the City. London-based trainees should be receiving at least £20,913 per year, up from £20,276 last year, while those at firms outside the City should take home at least £18,547, up from £18,183, it has recommended. The minimums have been calculated on the basis of the current living wage for London (£9.75 per hour) and the UK more broadly (£8.45 per hour), in addition to the current average yearly LPC repayment, which sits at £3,168.
Supporting social mobility
The Law Society’s annual recommendation is not enforceable, and thus it is entirely optional for firms whether they adhere to the salary guidelines. However, Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon was emphatic at the launch of the initiative last year that ensuring tenable minimum income for trainee solicitors is a prerequisite for nurturing social mobility in the profession. ‘Qualifying as a solicitor should always be on merit. We never want applicants’ backgrounds to be a barrier,’ she said. ‘The recommended minimum salary for trainees will contribute to better equality and diversity within the solicitor profession, enabling and supporting applicants from all backgrounds.’
Sources: Legal Cheek; Law Society
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