The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed that it has withdrawn from the voluntary code governing the recruitment of trainees.

The code provides best practice for graduate recruitment and stipulates, amongst other things, that offers (a) can only be made in an undergraduate's final year and (b) have to be kept open for four weeks. Nearly all major law firms are signed up, and the SRA was too. Until last week. The news leaked out on Wednesday and it was forced to put out a statement. Crispin Passmore, Director for Policy, said "we have taken the decision to withdraw from the Code on the basis that it is not appropriate to be involved in recruitment practices and procedures. A further announcement will follow in relation to the exact timing of our withdrawal."

It isn't clear why the SRA thinks it "not appropriate" to oversee entry into the profession which it regulates. But it's not entirely surprising. The SRA's most recent contribution to the welfare of graduates was to scrap the trainee minimum wage, so to be fair it has form for doing spectacularly stupid things.

    Arrr, the code...
 
The Association of Graduate Recruiters said that while the code is still technically extant, it can't continue to have any weight without the regulator as a signatory. There is now far less of a moral obligation on firms to sign up to the code, and grad rec partners have warned of a free-for-all with employers scrabbling around snapping up top students whilst still in their first year at university.

In reality this seems unlikely. But surely the profession's regulator should be tightening up best practices rather than driving a coach and horses through them.
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Comments

Anonymous 06 March 15 08:33

OK, so the Solicitors Regulation Authority doesn't regulate how trainee solicitors are recruited - they who does?

Anonymous 06 March 15 08:36

let the free market reign like it does in every other sector. Ofcom does not tell media and TV firms when they can or cannot recruit people. Let law firms and law entrants grow up. The current system works against a diverse profession.

Anonymous 06 March 15 09:52

The SRA states that it regulates the profession in accordance with the regulatory objectives within the Legal Services Act. One of those objectives is "encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession". This decision flies in the face of that objective.

Anonymous 06 March 15 11:43

It won't make any difference at all. Firms that want to flout the code so already. Free market and all that.

Roll On Friday 06 March 15 13:14

The code was voluntary and had no regulatory force. Was any signatory taken to task for not following it? Like making offers before 1 September? Did no candidates 'flout' it by sitting on offers, waiting to hear from another firm? The stuff the SRA is concerned about at recruitment level - like a diverse legal profession - is still in the Code of Conduct - see O(2.4): "your approach to recruitment and employment encourages equality of opportunity and respect for diversity," and see also IB(2.1).

Anonymous 06 March 15 13:53

Just because a student is performing well academically in his/her first year, that doesn't necessarily mean he/she will make a good solicitor. Also, most students spend the first year getting pissed and improving their social skills rather than studying and worrying about getting a 2:1. I sincerely hope students don't get stigmatised by law firms if they haven't got a TC by their third year, or that students feel compelled to apply for dozens of TCs in their first year at a point when they're still not sure if law is really for them.

Anonymous 06 March 15 14:58

Nothing will change. And frankly I'd rather the wider market influenced this than the SRA.

Anonymous 06 March 15 21:57

In 1960 my father and I signed my Articles of Clekship with my solicitor principal. I was a bit over 16 years old. I was admitted In 1966. I retired a bit under 3 years ago as a District Judge and Recorder. The obsession with degrees has hampered the opening of the profession to all who, with the necessary nous, aspire to join it.

Anonymous 12 March 15 09:51

Why is it any business of the SRA or anyone else how law firms recruit graduates or any other class of employees? Provided that firms abide by employment law they should be free to recruit as they wish.

The SRA often makes stupid decisions and deserves much of the criticism it receives, but not on this occasion, where the SRA has done the right thing.

Bear in mind that law is not an all graduate profession - there is the ILEX route and soon there will be apprentices, which to me looks like a return to traditional articles and a change to have a greater diversity of entrants into the profession.