{"id":11872,"date":"2023-09-25T08:44:26","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T08:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/?page_id=11872"},"modified":"2026-10-12T10:20:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T10:20:13","slug":"survey-findings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/survey-findings\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey Findings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Trainee Solicitor 2026\/27 Survey Findings<\/strong><\/p>\n

The aim of our survey has been the same for 21 years: to tell prospective lawyers what it\u2019s really like to train at a law firm.<\/p>\n

Using direct quotes from current trainees, we offer\u00a0you an unbiased insight into the training experience at firms across the UK.<\/p>\n

But as well as asking survey respondents about their training, we collect a whole host of other information too.<\/p>\n

This data gives us a more detailed picture of the ethnic, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds of trainee solicitors, as well as the legal profession more broadly.<\/p>\n

Below we set out our findings from the 2025\/26 survey.<\/p>\n

Ethnicity<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to ethnicity, the legal industry has a long reputation for being very white. And it\u2019s not unfair to say that the sector has been a bit slow to diversify.<\/p>\n

Black solicitors in particular are still an underrepresented group, at trainee level but especially at more senior levels.<\/p>\n

Asian solicitors fare better, but there is still a way to go.<\/p>\n

On a more positive note, law firms have been making a concerted effort over the past decade to recruit a more diverse workforce.<\/p>\n

This year:<\/p>\n