{
  "id": 2071170,
  "title": "Trainees ‘exploiting’ aspiring lawyers by monetising advice on social media",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/trainees-exploiting-aspiring-lawyers-by-monetising-advice-on-social",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-20T04:50:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/trainees-exploiting-aspiring-lawyers-by-monetising-advice-on-social-media/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Trainee solicitors are capitalising on social media to monetise their expertise and mentor aspiring lawyers seeking training contracts and apprenticeships, drawing criticism from experienced professionals who argue the practice is exploitative. Paul Leamy, a solicitor at Temple Bright and a former Winston Taylor partner, stated there is \"a growing trend\" of successful candidates offering advice on landing competitive training contracts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok in exchange for fees. Leamy contends that these individuals are \"exploiting\" hopeful candidates, creating additional barriers to entry into a profession that already faces multiple obstacles. The intense competition, with fewer than 3,000 training contracts offered to applicants across major law firms this year, exacerbates the issue. UCAS data reveals a record high of 27,150 law course acceptances in the UK, yet demand vastly exceeds supply for training contracts. Leamy, who left Winston Taylor to focus on aiding young people in entering the legal sector, finds it \"unwritten\" for seasoned lawyers to profit from their guidance. Those offering courses typically post content on social media platforms about applications, luring users to their websites for payment. Law firms are reportedly growing wary of this trend and hope to discourage trainees from engaging in such practices. Fellow apprentice Finn Sprakes expressed shock at the trend, deeming it manipulative, as desperate applicants often end up paying for subpar advice. This issue extends beyond law firms to the legal bar, where Ben Keith, a barrister, reported a surge in online advice-seeking for pupillage applications, with only 500 positions available each year. Keith believes the trend stems from the highly competitive nature of the training course.",
  "summary": "Trainee lawyers are taking to social media to monetise their “advice” and offer “mentorship” to aspiring candidates looking to land training contracts and apprenticeships, sparking backlash from industry veterans who claim the practice is exploitative. Paul Leamy, a solicitor at Temple Bright and former Winston Taylor partner of ten years, told City AM there is [...]",
  "key_points": [
    "Trainee solicitors monetize expertise on social media.",
    "Critics label practice as exploitative.",
    "Law firms wary of trend, aim to discourage engagement."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Trainee solicitors monetising advice on social media creates an additional barrier to entry for aspiring lawyers, allowing experienced individuals to profit from guidance while exploiting hopeful candidates.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}