Law Society training proposals will enable more students from ethnic minorities to qualify as solicitors - but could lead to a training 'apartheid' and will 'do nothing' to help minorities break into City firms, black and Asian lawyers warned this week.
Solicitor Sundeep Bhatia, spokesman for the Society of Asian Lawyers, said the 'two speed' system proposed could 'entrench prejudice' against ethnic minority lawyers, who were more likely to go though the new route to qualification, which could be seen as inferior.


Under proposals published by Law Society Regulation in August, students could qualify as a solicitor by gathering work experience from different, 'non-accredited' firms and completing a training portfolio, rather than working at the same firm throughout (see (2006) Gazette, 17 August, 1).


Mr Bhatia added that while it was good the plans put greater emphasis on practical experience, they 'would not help ethnic minority students into the City in any way, shape or form'. But he said they would help more qualify into legal aid work.


Stephen Friday, chairman of the Black Solicitors Network, added: 'This will open up more avenues for ethnic minority lawyers to qualify. But if it becomes a two-tier system where firms do not want to take people who come from the non-accredited route, we will just be pushing the current problems one stage further. People will be able to qualify, but it will be hard to get a job. But our members prefer that option - of at least getting the qualification - even if they do not get a job.'


He added: 'I don't see that this is doing anything to deal with the inequalities in the City.'


Caroline Herbert, chairwoman of the Law Society's equality and diversity committee, argued that the proposals were not intended to address the problem of access to City firms, where a 'two-tier' system already exists because firms only select from certain universities.


A Regulation Board spokeswoman said it would carefully evaluate responses to the training consultation, which closes this week.


Rachel Rothwell