Ending the minimum salary for trainee solicitors will increase exploitation, reduce diversity in the profession and discourage new entrants to legal aid, young lawyer groups have warned.


The warnings came in response to a Law Society Regulation Board consultation, which said most commercial firms already paid above the minimum and questioned whether it was still necessary to set pay levels.



The Trainee Solicitors Group said the board's figures were based on City firms - and provincial firms paid much less. Policy director Akaego Ugwu added: 'There's a real fear of being exploited and going deeper into debt.'



The Young Legal Aid Lawyers group said candidates from poorer backgrounds could be deterred from entering the profession. It added that legal aid firms would be badly hit.