Law Society Annual Statistics Report reveals there are now more female than male practising solicitors

26 Jun 2018
The Law Society Annual Statistics Report 2017 has detailed trends regarding UK law firms and solicitors. We've outlined some of the key findings from the report.
  • The report identified that as of July 2017, there were almost 140,000 solicitors holding Practice Certificates (PC), which is an increase of 2.5% on the previous year. On the Roll of solicitors, there over 180,000 individuals in total.
  • Notably, the 2017 report found that the number of female PC holders was greater than male PC holders for the first time. In addition,  the number of PC holders from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) increased to 16.5%, meaning a total increase of 9.5% since the year 2000.
  • The number of solicitors working in private practices rose to 93,155 – an increase of 2.2% on 2016. The number of solicitors that are employed outside private practice also increased by 3.2% to 27,767.
  • There were 6,478 new solicitors admitted to the Roll during the year to 31 July 2017, which is 132 (2.1%) more than the previous year. However, registrations for trainee solicitors fell slightly to 5,719 – a small decrease of 0.2%.
  • The number of private practice law firms was 9,488 – just 58 more than the number reported in 2016. Partnerships, including sole practices, of law firms accounted for 45% of firms, which is 15% less than reported in 2012.

A copy of the full report: ‘Trends in the solicitors’ profession: Annual Statistics Report 2017′ can be requested by emailing your name and SRA Roll Number to: annualstatisticsreport@lawsociety.org.uk. The report is free for Law Society members and is also available to non-members from theLaw Society Bookshop for £99.

The Executive Summary and a Summary Flyer are available to download on the Law Society Website and are free of charge. View the Press Release on the Law Society Website for details and download links.

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