The Law Society has raised its recommended minimum salaries for trainees, but has refused to confirm whether its President will pay it to his own trainees.

From May 1st the recommended minimum trainee salary in London will rise from £20,913 to £21,561, while the recommended minimum outside of London will increase from £18,547 to £19,122. But the Law Society would not clarify whether the Bolton firm which belongs to Joe Egan, President of the Law Society, would adhere to the "good practice" guidance or continue to under-pay its trainees.



The Law Society introduced recommended minimum trainee salaries in 2015 when the Solicitors Regulation Authority's decision to abolish enforceable minimum salaries left firms free to pay trainees no more than the minimum wage. Research carried out by the Law Society showed that minimum wage salaries prevented people from less affluent backgrounds from being able to enter the profession, and had a disproportionate impact on black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates.

Last November Egan admitted to RollOnFriday that his two trainees were paid less than the minimum, and blamed a decline in legal aid work upon which his practice relied. Asked this week whether Egan would pay his trainees the new minimum, or even the old minimum, a spokesman for the Law Society would only say "This is a rise of 3% and is in line with inflation. The Law Society’s Education and Training Committees and our Regulatory Affairs Board as well as the Junior Lawyers Division were all involved in this process”. We'll assume that's a no then.

Last year Bryan Scant, then-chair of the Law Society's Junior Lawyers Division, said it was, “extremely disappointing" that Egan had "chosen to disregard his own organisation’s guidance". Current chair Adele Edwin-Lamerton said, "Competition for training contracts is fierce and there are many barriers to entering the profession. Financial means should not be one of them".