Renewed calls for a minimum trainee salary from Junior Lawyers Division
updated on 25 July 2014
The Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) has called for a recommended trainee minimum salary, arguing that there will be a significant negative impact on diversity in the profession following the abolition of the mandatory minimum salary from 1 August 2014.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) decided to abandon the minimum trainee salary in 2012, on the board’s agreement that the requirement was not in the public interest. When the change comes into force next week, employers are only required to pay trainees the national minimum wage of £6.31 per hour. As reported by the Law Society Gazette, the compulsory minimum salaries had been £18,590 for those based in central London and £16,650 for those outside of London.
The JLD, having campaigned against the removal of the mandatory salary, is now asking the SRA to align itself with the Law Society of Scotland in recommending a minimum salary for first-year trainees. Writing to the Law Society, the JLD said: "While it is appreciated that [a recommended minimum] will not be obligatory, providing ‘good practice’ for the legal profession may guide the market." Sophia Dirir, chair of the JLD, added that the removal will be "a step back for diversity” and the change “affects the most vulnerable of our junior members."
