A groundbreaking solicitor training model has launched this week, targeting City law firms and in-house legal departments.

The first non-legal services provider to be authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to take on trainees, Acculaw claims it will cut costs and improve efficiency for firms looking to find future lawyers.

Olswang has signed up to pilot the scheme, while stressing that it will have no impact on existing or future Olswang trainees.

Acculaw will recruit trainees based on the requirements of firms and in-house departments, and says graduates will work for more than one firm as they experience a mixture of cultures and clients. They will be paid a salary exceeding £20,000, generally lower than trainees at City firms.

Acculaw’s Susan Cooper, formerly of Hogan Lovells, said the model aims to deal with the alleged oversupply of graduates looking to enter the profession. Trainees will be employed from postgraduate law schools by Acculaw, saving firms from spending on up-front investment and allowing them to return trainees when workloads decline.

Movement of trainees between firms will be based on business need, the training needs of the trainee and the fit of the trainee with the firm.

Olswang director of human resources Ffion Griffith said: ‘We intend to use Acculaw for the provision of future trainees where internal demand for trainees fluctuates and exceeds the number of trainees that we have available through our normal recruitment methods.’