Trainees set to benefit as Law Society agrees increase in recommended rate

Trainee solicitors across Scotland could benefit from a pay boost following an increase to the Law Society of Scotland recommended pay rate.

The Law Society’s Council has agreed a £500 increase to the recommended rate of remuneration which, from 1 June 2017, will be set at £18,000 for first-year and £21,500 for second-year trainees.

The recommended rate is not compulsory, but is often used as a benchmark for employers. Individual law firms or in-house employers decide on how much they pay their trainee solicitors, as long as it meets or is above the mandatory minimum pay rate. In April 2016, the Society’s Council agreed that trainee contracts must meet the National Living Wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation, to be accepted

Law Society figures have shown a rise in traineeships, with 549 traineeships registered in the practice year 2015/16 compared to 540 in 2014/15. Figures also show that 90 per cent of trainees admitted in the last practice year are now employed as solicitors, up from 88 per cent the previous practice year.

Eilidh Wiseman, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “It’s important that we strike the right balance when setting the recommended rate for trainee salaries. Trainees are the future of our profession and we want to ensure they are paid fairly for the work they do. However we fully understand that while we have seen improvements in the economy, which have undoubtedly contributed to the increase in traineeships, employers continue to have to control their costs, including salaries.

“Today’s law graduates have more choice than ever in terms of the kind of career they want to pursue. Around half choose not to join the solicitors’ profession and new roles, such as legal analyst positions, offer an alternative and attractive career path in law. We need to ensure that we can continue to attract high calibre individuals to the profession, which includes maintaining competitive pay rates for trainees.

“Unfortunately some law firms just cannot afford to afford to take on a trainee. It is a problem acutely felt within the legal aid sector as cuts to budgets and stagnation in legal aid rates, some of which have not kept up with inflation for over two decades, have left margins so tight that paying the recommended rate is not feasible. For these firms the decision to take on a trainee is a difficult one and paying a salary below the recommended rate may be the only viable option.

“This issue underlines the need for us to continue to press for an appropriately funded system of legal aid to help firms and encourage new solicitors to enter this important branch of the legal profession.”