Almost three-quarters of trainee solicitors do not appear on their own firms’ websites despite their time being billed to clients, new research has found.
A specialist marketing agency, TBD Marketing, found that of the 4,900 trainees working at the top 50 firms, 3,605 are ‘effectively invisible’ from websites. Of the 12 firms employing more than 5,000 people, just one – Eversheds Sutherland – identified their trainees and gave their contact details. One explanation for trainees not being listed is to prevent them from being headhunted, but in the vast majority of cases these individuals had public profiles on Linkedin, so could be easily traced and contacted.
Simon Marshall, TBD's founder, said firms are willing to promote partners, associates and support staff but leave trainees unseen – potentially alienating both them and clients. ‘When people see themselves reflected, they believe they belong,’ he said. ‘When clients see full teams rather than just partners, they understand that value comes from many hands, not just senior ones, and strong relationships can be built at all levels.
‘The missing 73.6% aren’t merely a number. They’re people learning, contributing, and shaping the future of law. If we believe that inclusion starts with visibility, it’s high time to let them be seen’.
The research found that medium sized firms with between 1,000 and 5,000 employees are more likely to list trainees, although 61% of individuals in these firms still do not appear on websites. Firms with fewer than 1,000 staff were the most transparent, with almost all showing their full teams.
Tom Wickstead, early careers manager with London firm Mishcon de Reya, told the report: ‘Visibility for trainees is a fundamental part of inclusion, not a branding extra. When junior lawyers appear on our website, it signals that they belong at the firm, that their contribution is valued, and that their future is being actively invested in. It also matters to our clients, who increasingly expect to have visibility of the real people delivering their work.’
Another contributor, BBC media content lawyer Sarah McColl, said clients and in-house teams are having to turn to social media to find out anything about the trainees they are working with. She added: ‘These are people who attend client meetings, bring fresh ideas to matters, work hard and who are already representing their firms in so many ways. Clients often want to know who they’re speaking to (and paying for) and visibility helps build trust. It’s not about status or hierarchy, it is about transparency and recognition.’
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