Trainee solicitor's minimum wage may be scrapped
The trainee solicitor’s minimum wage is up for consideration and could be scrapped. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to consult on whether it should continue to set the annual minimum rate—currently £18,500 in central London and £16,650 outside.
The minimum wage policy dates back to 1982 and was designed to protect trainees from exploitation and encourage high-calibre graduates into the profession.
The SRA’s consultation on the issue will close on 10 April, and the SRA Board will make its decision on 16 May.
SRA executive director, Samantha Barrass said: “Our consultation paper explains that there is no clear evidence that setting a minimum salary for trainees fulfils any of the regulatory objectives within the Legal Services Act. We do not regulate prices, including rate of pay, in any other area of our work. We have compared the practice with other professional regulators and found very few examples where this occurs.”
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