Useless trainee solicitor

[Milkbottlewaffle]

I thought legal would be the best place to post to get the attention of lawyers on Mumsnet.

I work for a firm of solicitors and we have taken on a trainee who is absolutely useless. He is due to finish his 3rd and final seat in September and so far, each department has passed him on hoping that he will do better in the next - which he has not.

He’s very bright, first class law degree, but does not seem able to put what he’s learned into practice, applying law to actual cases seems very difficult and he needs excessive hand holding.

What happens if at the end of his training contract, he isn’t a competent lawyer and cannot be signed off? Would another firm offer to take him on for an extended training contract? Although I’m not sure in another 12 or even 24 months, that he’d be ready.

I wonder whether it would be best to just abandon the training now and everyone cut their losses??

The path he forges after qualifying will be no concern of yours. The least you can do is sign him off, tell him to look elsewhere from next year and provide him with a very basic reference merely confirming dates of employment (which will speak volumes in itself). He may go on to thrive elsewhere, he may choose a career which interests him more further down the line or he may end up being struck off for incompetence if he perseveres and leave the profession in disgrace. Give him a chance. He could be that trainee ranting down the pub about how he works for an awful person and cannot wait to leave once he is qualified!

She’s a secretary. She literally has no say in his future.

provide him with a very basic reference merely confirming dates of employment (which will speak volumes in itself)

Side point but many firms will only provide a reference of this sort for even their best staff- it's fairly standard now and won't necessarily be taken as meaningful either way.

Oops, I missed that detail. She is overly invested in that case.