£27,418 in London, £24,320 elsewhere
The Law Society of England and Wales has increased its minimum salary recommendations for trainee solicitors by a little over 5%.
The Chancery Lane body, which issues new recommended salary levels annually, says that rookie solicitors should now be paid £27,418 in the capital and £24,320 elsewhere. This recommendation applies to those completing qualifying work experience (QWE) or a training contract.
The current recommended minimum salary for trainee solicitors is £23,122 outside of London and £26,068 in the capital.
The move comes as junior lawyer salaries in the City continue to rise, with firms competing to attract and retain top talent. The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows some rookie solicitors at elite outfits can earn over £120,000 during their two-year training contract and quickly move to a salary of over £170,000 upon qualification.
But some trainees continue to be paid less than the Society’s guidelines, particularly those working in areas of the profession supported by legal aid.
As with all of The Law Society’s recommended salary increases, the new levels are only guidelines and are completely unenforceable. Firms can choose to ignore them, following the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) decision to scrap statutory minimums in 2014.
“The increase in recommended salary for aspiring solicitors is considered appropriate at this time,” said Law Society president Nick Emmerson. “The minimum salary policy and uplift supports those seeking to enter the profession with an appropriate salary recommendation.”
Emmerson continued: “We encourage employers to consider this recommendation when looking at how much they will pay their employees. The policy applies to anyone undertaking a period of recognised training, such as a training contract, or anyone employed with the primary purpose of gaining QWE.”