25% of Young Lawyers Working Unpaid

One in four aspiring solicitors have undertaken unpaid work experience for more than six months at a time, a survey by the Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division has found.

More than 600 young lawyers responded to the survey, with some placements lasting up to two years. Additionally, the number of people undertaking paralegal work straight after study jumped from 45% in 2013 to 60% in 2014. Of the 60%, just over half managed to secure a training contract.

Other findings from the survey include:

- 61% spent over £20,000 on their legal education in 2014, compared with 35% in 2013

- 37% said unpaid contracts offered no compensation, such as travel or meal expenses

- Almost a third claimed unpaid work experience put them further into debt.

Sophia Dirir said there was a worrying trend of long-term unpaid work experience. “I would urge the profession to re-evaluate the situation and not push short-term commercial advantage above the development of future legal talent.”

The Law Society’s Andrew Caplen said, “Students thinking of embarking on a career in law should think carefully and do extensive research. Students should be confident that they are right for the profession and the profession is right for them before making that commitment.”

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