Private practice firms are donating thousands of pounds towards social welfare training contracts in a bid to attract a new generation of lawyers to what could become an extinct sector of the profession.

The Legal Education Foundation (TLEF), a grant-making charity which was established after the College of Law became a university, is offering seven training contracts through its Justice First Fellowship scheme.

Organisations that take on trainees are given around £75,000 to cover salary, supervision and training costs. Grants are awarded by the foundation. This is the first year law firms have contributed towards funds.

This year training contracts are being offered at: Avon & Bristol Law Centre, Law Centre (Northern Ireland), Legal Services Agency, north-east legal aid firm Ben Hoare Bell and charities Child Poverty Action Group, Greenwich Housing Rights and Shelter.

International firm Herbert Smith Freehills has provided £41,000 to sponsor more than half of the cost of a fellowship at Child Poverty Action Group.

Magic circle firm Allen & Overy has made a general £20,000 contribution.

Bristol firms Osborne Clarke, Burges Salmon, DAC Beachcroft and TLT have sponsored part of the cost of a fellowship at the Avon & Bristol Law Centre. While the exact figure was not disclosed, the Gazette was told the contribution was ‘significant’.

Trainees are not guaranteed jobs at the end of their training contract.

But TLEF deputy chief executive Alan Humphreys said: ‘One of the ideas behind the fellowship is that during the two years of the training contract, fellows find ways to justify and finance their continued role at the centre.’

One of last year’s trainees is developing a ‘Safeplace’ service at Central England Law Centre, to provide access to justice for domestic violence victims from a black or minority ethnic background.

Earlier this year, the Low Commission called for joined-up action between local government, the NHS and central government departments such as the Ministry of Justice to tackle a ‘growing advice deficit’ in social welfare law.

TLEF chief executive Matthew Smerdon (pictured) said: ‘With steep cuts to legal aid and many other areas of public spending, the need for social welfare lawyers has never been greater.’