State of the nation

The profession has changed, for many reasons, and there is an inevitable impact on the number of new entrants through the traditional recruitment model.

The release of the Law Society's statistical report - our very own 'State of the Nation' - has revealed that 5,001 training contracts were offered in the 2013/2014 year. This may lead you think that there is a reduced demand for legal services as we progress through the 21st century, until you read on to find that the number of solicitors on the roll has increased, to 130,382.

Just looking around our law offices and court waiting rooms, it's pretty obvious that partners, in particular, are working later into life (possibly in order to make up a shortfall in the pension pot following the economic downturn), which leaves little room at the bottom of the food chain for newcomers.

On the other hand, there are now many more routes to the legal profession. The number of paralegals and non-solicitor advisers increases year on year and the number of alternative business structures (ABSs) continues to grow at a rate the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) struggles to keep up with.

According to the figures, about 36 per cent of all training contracts were offered in the City, with nearly 19 per cent available throughout the rest of the capital. This is perhaps indicative of the way the profession is changing.

Firms are getting bigger, merging with one another to create legal powerhouses. That is happening in the regions too, but on a much smaller scale. Slater and Gordon, for example, has continued its aggressive growth strategy and will, I hope, provide for ever more trainees as the years go on.

Firms, and clients, are also open to alternative training methods. The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) qualification is more popular than ever, with around 20,000 members. Add to the mix legal apprentices and barristers crossing the courtroom floor to sign up with law firms and the figures become less startling.

At the Bar, the situation is somewhat different. According to Bar Standards Board (BSB) figures, the number of 'first six' pupillage places fell to just 397 in 2013/14.

Does this mean that a legal career is less attractive to students and school leavers? Well, no. In fact, the number of law graduates stands at 16,120. Perhaps the promise of £100,000 salaries is still alluring, even if the odds are seemingly against it.

There have been many changes over the past decade, stemming from the wholesale review of the profession and the passing of the Legal Services Act. It will take a few more years to discover the true impact of this shake-up and of current austerity measures, not least in legal aid funding.

Statistics can never show a true picture, but it is worth reflecting on how the profession is shifting, and wondering where we will all be in another ten years.

Kevin Poulter, editor at large

@SJ_Weekly | @kevinpoulter |

editorial@solicitorsjournal.co.uk