Making Legal Aid Solicitors? The Training Contract Grants Scheme
36 Pages Posted: 25 Jan 2010 Last revised: 15 Aug 2011
Date Written: February 1, 2009
Abstract
This study was commissioned by the Legal Services Commission (LSC), the body responsible for legal aid in England and Wales. It sought to evaluate the operation of the Training Contracts Grant Scheme, which supports the recruitment of trainee solicitors into legal aid careers with law firms and not-for-profit organisations in England and Wales. It aims to engender commitment to legal aid work in the long term, rather than simply providing training in the sector. The Scheme was launched in September 2002 in response to concerns that the pool of legal solicitors may be diminishing and aging, as few young solicitors were entering and remaining within the sector. The study employed qualitative and quantitative methods, including telephone interviews and a series of surveys of participating firms and trainees and former trainees.
Keywords: legal aid, Training Contracts Grant Scheme, Legal Services Commission
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