Kingston law students would turn their noses up at thousands of pounds offered by prospective law firms to defer for a year because it would slow down their career goals.
Law students have snubbed plans by top law firms such as Norton Rose and Lovells who are offering up to £10,000 to put off work for a year until the economy recovers, citing them as having an “obligation to train and pay the student as usual”.
Kieran Fano, President of the Law Society, who has been offered a training contract at law firm, Weightmans LLP said: “At first it seems like a great reward to have £10,000 to travel, however the law firm is bound by a contract and is under an obligation to train and pay the student as per usual. If I were offered the money to go do anything I wanted for a year and return with a guaranteed job, I would be tempted but would also be reluctant as this would slow down my career goals and aspirations.”
Trainee law students who must apply to firms years in advance to guarantee a job can expect a starting salary of at least £35,000, nearly four times the amount that Norton Rose is offering as compensation to defer for a year. The decision comes as the companies cut extravagant costs and remain cautious in an industry where salaries can reach well over £100,000 plus bonuses.
A law student who did not wish to be named agreed she would rebuff the offer of money. She said: “When you compare ten grand to 40 grand it doesn’t quite match up. It comes across like a great deal because it looks like they’re handing you money on a plate, but actually you’re getting a bad deal and getting a quarter of what they actually owe you.”
However not all law firms are making the offer. Slaughter and May, one of the biggest London-based law firms, has not made any such offer. Head of Human Resources at Slaughter and May, Martin Havelock said: “We aren’t doing this as far as I am aware and if we have it was a long time ago. It is not something we have needed to do. The reasons maybe that [firms] may not have the right kind of work to offer trainees at the time they were going there.”
Mr Havelock added that the “mutually convenient” arrangement for both trainee and employer was a good strategy.
Oliver Moir, a 24-year-old Oxford graduate, will be working at Slaughter and May on completion of his Learning Practice Course (LPC) at the BPP Law School in Holborn. He said: “If the firm doesn’t have that much work going then there’s no point being there. Lots of firms are doing this now and quite a few of my friends have been offered money to defer a year. But if I was in that position I’d take it and go travelling.”
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