Law Student Strategy and TC Troubles – Linklaters Joins Deferral Crowd.
As surprised as many lawyers might be by this, many law students would rather pursue careers somewhere other than the legal profession. This phenomenon has been dampened by the current economic climate however and the number of law students seeking to pursue a non-legal career has fallen over the last two years. Those students who might have otherwise considered banking or other jobs in the finance sector are now looking increasingly at law for a secure career. Legal …
As surprised as many lawyers might be by this, many law students would rather pursue careers somewhere other than the legal profession. This phenomenon has been dampened by the current economic climate however and the number of law students seeking to pursue a non-legal career has fallen over the last two years. Those students who might have otherwise considered banking or other jobs in the finance sector are now looking increasingly at law for a secure career. Legal Week have carried out research which has found that the number of law students looking to move away from the legal profession when they leave university has fallen from 18% in 2007 to 13% in 2009.
Regular readers of the legal press could be forgiven for wondering why. After all, the huge rafts of redundancies in the last 12 months are hardly confidence inspiring and the more recent trends of trainee deferrals and possible withdrawing of TCs are not particularly positive.
In addition to this, the SRA has recently made the following statement: “The SRA sympathises with the disappointment felt by trainees who are faced with having to defer – or in some cases even lose – their training contracts due to the economic downturn. However, unfortunately this is an employment issue and as such falls outside the remit of our regulatory role.” – You’re on your own Jack.
On which note, Linklaters has joined the list of firms offering deferrals – all those in its September 2009 and March 2010 intakes will be given the opportunity to defer, with the firm planning to select 15 deferrals from across the two intakes. Linklaters is offering a £10,000 cash incentive to those due to start in September 2009 for a 12-month deferral, and those starting in March 2010 can either defer for 12 months and receive £10,000 or defer for six months for £5,000.
So even those who’ve got TCs these days have some tricky hurdles to leap still.
Employment law anyone?
April 9, 2009
I think I would be warning trainees to think carefully before trying to sue their prospective employers which, in the long run, may have more detrimental effects on their careers.
April 9, 2009
Redundancies are a sad fact of life. The SRA can’t protect qualified lawyers, so how can it protect trainees?
April 9, 2009
It is all very well to say for the SRA to say that it is simply an issue of employment law, and that many firms would be in breach of the contract if they force deferrals or withdraw an offer on a training contract etc etc… Realistically, however, how is a trainee supposed to fight this?
April 9, 2009
it makes sense to defer if you’re being provided with compensation – it’s consideration for the fact your firm is breaching the contract – but what about those offered no compensation? Will Shoosmiths maintain their tightfisted stance given the reaction???????
April 9, 2009
on Linklaters for offering decent compensation
April 9, 2009
Suing your prospective employer for breach of contract will have more of a detrimental effect on your career than bending over and taking a deferring.
April 9, 2009
Even if the SRA does not feel it can intervene if firms bring the profession into disrepute by absuing their (weak) contractual position against a class of people who cannot possibly be expected to enforce their rights through the courts, then the very least they can do is to openly and clearly condem the practice.