Trainee solicitors 'face growing abuse'By Anne MizziThe Trainee Solicitors Group (TSG) has uncovered disturbing evidence of growing abuse of trainee solicitors among law firms.

A comprehensive six-month review of the TSG helpline has revealed that some trainees complain of being frequently bullied and threatened by partners and other lawyers.

Trainees are usually too frightened to leave their names or give details that would identify their firms.Half the callers recounted 'harrowing' tales, said the TSG.

Some trainees are on the verge of a nervous breakdown; some are expected to perform as if they were fully qualified solicitors, often putting in 12 to 14 hour days; and some have accepted pay which is less than the Law Society's minimum salary just to secure a training contract.

The remainder complain of abuse and poor quality training.

Not only are trainees being left unsupervised, but law firms are also letting them down by flouting training regulations.Verity Chase, the TSG's joint education officer, said: 'These might seem like extreme cases, however, each year we are receiving an increasing number of calls of a more serious nature.' In the nine months to May 2000, the helpline received 220 calls, a 50% rise on the same period the year before.

It received a 'small but significant' number of serious call, two thirds of which cam from women trainees.Ms Chase said: 'The fact that trainees are subjected to so much pressure and distress this early in their careers is extremely worrying.

What concerns me is this might only be the tip of the iceberg.' SolCare, which runs a similar helpline for the whole profession, recently revealed that stress and depression among newly qualified solicitors is increasing (see [2000] Gazette, 25 May, 3).SolCare director Barry Pritchard said the TSG's findings came from 'a lack of support from the firms, uncertainty about where they stand with the firm and being expected to put in long hours, but being afraid to say anything, not unlike newly qualified solicitors, who have similar problems'.Mr Pritchard continued: 'They are worried that if they say anything they may ruin their future prospects.

This is one of the reasons why some firms get away with it.'Most inquiries to the helpline related to training procedure.

Many trainees are deprived of access to regulations covering their contracts, and when they are given access, the terms are often overly complex or incomprehensible.

However, the TSG welcomed the Law Society's introduction next month of a new monitoring system for training contracts.

The Law Society charity also recently pledged 6,000 a year to the helpline for the next three years.