Unpaid and low-paid internships remain widespread across the legal profession despite its much-trumpeted commitment to social mobility, impeding entry to young working-class graduates.

That is one conclusion of research by charity the Sutton Trust, showing that internships are an increasingly critical route into the best jobs.

A YouGov survey conducted last month found that nearly two out of three legal employers offer internships. Nearly half of those that do so pay interns nothing or less than the statutory minimum wage (£11.44 an hour for adults aged 21 and over, £8.60 for those aged 18-21). The sector ranks joint-third of 12 industries surveyed for unpaid or low-paid internships, behind only real estate (64%) and construction (54%).

Across all sectors, more than half of graduates reported completing at least one internship, up 12 percentage points since 2018. Six out of ten employers reported offering internships, up from 48%.

More internships paid the minimum wage (37%, compared with 27% in 2018), but the proportion paid at a lower rate also rose, from 9% to 23%. About one in five internships are unpaid.

Graduates from working-class backgrounds are much less likely to undertake an internship than their middle-class peers, a gap that has widened since 2018. Some 40% of unpaid interns rely on the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ to fund their role, up from 26%.

Just one in 10 internships was found through an open advertisement.

Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Internships are an increasingly critical route into the best jobs, and it’s shocking that in this day and age, many employers still pay interns below the minimum wage, or worse, nothing at all. They should be ashamed.

'The government has pledged to ban unpaid internships, which is absolutely the right thing to do. Clearly not all young people can get support from the "Bank of Mum and Dad", so banning this outdated practice will help level the playing field for these valuable opportunities. It’s a no-brainer.’