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Number of local government solicitors falls for second year: Law Society

The number of solicitors employed in local government has fallen – but only by a small amount – for the second year in a row, data from the Law Society has revealed.

The Society’s Annual Statistical Review (ASR) found that as at 31 July 2016 there were 4,447 practising certificate holders employed in the sector, representing 3.3% of PC holders as a whole.

The number employed was down 2% from the 4,538 recorded at 31 July 2015 and 4.2% on the 4,640 PC holders at 31 July 2014.

The ASR also revealed that women solicitors accounted for 69.6% of local government PC holders. This is the highest percentage in the profession after those employed in advice services (73.2%).

There were 74 trainee placements recorded for local government as at 31 July 2016, with private practice continuing to provide the overwhelming majority of opportunities for new trainees. The figure for local government was down from 81 the previous year but almost exactly the same (75) as at 31 July 2015.

The number of PC holders at other public sector employers include: the Crown Prosecution Service (1,791), Educational establishments (520), Government department (237), Government funded services (217), Health services (78) and courts (23). The vast majority of in-house lawyers continue to be employed in commerce and industry (18,137). 22% of PC holders worked in-house in 2016, up 7.3% on the previous year.

Other findings from the ASR include:

  • There were 136,176 solicitors with practising certificates (PC holders), and 175,160 individuals in total on the Roll of solicitors on 31 July 2016, up by nearly one-third in the last 10 years.
  • The number of trainee registrations in the year to 31 July 2016 was 5% higher than in the previous 12-month period.
  • In 2015-16, 62% of admissions were female, up from 53% 15 years ago. Women under the age of 35 make up almost one-fifth of all PC holders.
  • 16% of solicitors (19,145) are from BAME backgrounds, more than double the proportion in the previous decade. 57% of these are women, in contrast to 48% of white solicitors who are women.
  • 485 alternative business structures (ABSs) were in operation: 126 more than a year earlier.
  • ABSs contributed 11.7% of total turnover in the market (a total of £2.2bn according to the available 2014/15 turnover information). 

Commenting on the findings, Law Society president Robert Bourns said: "Increasing diversity in the solicitor profession is a powerful force for good and a cause for real celebration. Not only do solicitors themselves come from an ever widening pool - reflecting the diverse society of which we are part and which we serve - but new business models are flourishing, allowing us to provide an ever more tailored service to our clients.”