Solicitors numbers demonstrate bouncebackability

The number of solicitors in private practice grew at its fastest rate for nearly a decade in 2014, according to the Law Society's 2014 Annual Statistical Report.

On the 31st July 2014 there were 130,382 PC holders compared to 127,676 the previous year which equates to a 4% annual rise. Three fifths of all new admissions to the roll were women meaning 6 in 10 PC holders under the age of 35 are female – conversely 6 in 10 PC holders over 35 are men. BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) representation continued to grow in 2014 to 15%, meaning the figure has more than doubled since 2000. Some 56% of BAME Solicitors are women.      

Max Harris, Associate Solicitor at Baker McKenzie and Chair of the Junior Lawyers Division at the Law Society of England and Wales commented ‘We do see a large difference in the proportion of female junior solicitors compared to female senior solicitors. This is particularly worrying because the trend does not look like it is changing any time soon. Firms are driving away their female talent. They need to invest more time, effort and resources into understanding the social reasons for this, and in turn address these. Again, it is likely that both conscious and unconscious barriers play a role here. There are positive initiatives which are on-going and aim to tackle this problem. The Women Lawyers Division of the Law Society continues to be involved in several of these initiatives.’

Max added ‘The fact that BAME representation has doubled in the past 15 years shows that firms are taking positive steps to ensure open and fair recruitment. The growth in BAME representation is largely down to positive campaigns from universities, law firms, the Law Society and other organisations. Students from all backgrounds are beginning to realise that the legal profession is a viable option for them. The concept of "it is not what you know, but who you know" is becoming less and less prevalent in the solicitors profession. We are starting to see a large number of talented individuals enter the profession purely on merit. We cannot, however, become complacent after seeing these figures. It shows that the legal profession is heading in the right direction, but we are not at the finish line yet. There is still under-representation of individuals from BAME backgrounds, and as a profession we need to continue to break down any conscious and unconscious barriers.’

The figures also revealed that the number of students graduating from first degree law courses in England and Wales rose to a new high of 16,120 in 2014. The number of training contracts registered however was 6% lower than the previous year at 5,001. Max advised ‘It is a well-established fact – and has been for much of this century – that the number of students who want to become a solicitor far outweighs the opportunities available. When we compare the number of LPC graduates to training contracts available, we see a worrying surplus of LPC graduates. This picture is even worse when you compare LLB students to training contracts available. However, the LLB is an academic course. The first question a student should ask before they undertake an undergraduate degree in law should be "does this course interest me?" – not "do I want to be a lawyer?". Many students who obtain an undergraduate law degree go on to other careers (and, conversely, many students who obtain an undergraduate degree in a different discipline enter the legal profession). The law degree can be challenging, but also hugely rewarding. That said, it is by no means a pre-requisite to becoming a solicitor (many students take the one year conversion course instead). The SRA have also embarked on a thorough review of legal education and training. We are already starting to see the rise of alternative routes to qualification. Further changes are on the horizon. Great care needs to be taken by the SRA when they implement these changes, but the end-goal should be more opportunities available to students who want to qualify as solicitors.’

Every year The Law Society publishes its annual statistical report containing information about Solicitor numbers and relevant demographics