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@Anonymous12 February 2016 02:38 pm:

"...Why should trainee solicitors, or those who aspire to that status, expect to be shielded from market realities in a manner that other graduates are not? ..."

You miss the point completely. The reason for the high wage was that the old LSF (when minimum salary came in I understand), was so difficult to pass (35% in some Polys., first time with or without referrals), that those who did it were entitled (particularly if from a working income background), to be priorly supported so that they weren't in penury 'training'.

Probably (I don't think there are proper stats), the bigger City Firms always paid a living wage to their trainees (particularly those with obvious starting skills), leaving those paying premiums (or able to support Clarissa and Algernon whilst they trained and give the firm work), to compensate.

It was (and with proper tough, modulated professional exams still would be),a class issue. It is not silly tokenist, gesturing 113 Chancery Lane Members Room 'initiative'.....

The City Firms 'led' the way. Medium / Smaller Firms had to either pay to follow in the provinces, or take the City Firms 'trained' products (and in many cases retrain them).