The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced it will 120 trainees this autumn, up 50 % from last year’s 80, in a drive to *grow its own* legal talent.

With a caseload of about 500,000 cases per year and a 63 % rise in workload over the past three years, the CPS faces a backlog that could push trials into 2030. Staff numbers have only risen 10 %, yet the agency attracted roughly 2,600 applications for the new slots.

CPS trainees earn a starting salary of £34,000 in London, rising to about £50,000 upon qualification – a figure dwarfed by Big‑Law offers of £60,000 to £150,000+ for new‑qualified lawyers. Parkinson says the early responsibility and public‑service fulfilment keep many trainees in the service for long careers.

The agency also plans to more than double its crown advocates, from 200 to 426 by 2029, and is piloting AI to speed casework, from summarising evidence to drafting court submissions.