I can attest to this. My boss, from a relatively smaller firm, are always very keen on taking on trainees every year. But he will tell them the same story at almost every interview. And as rightly pointed out by previous posters, he went on telling them about how they are taking them on not because they need to but they are doing their part as senior members to help juniors become lawyers in the bad economy, so whatever he offers is the most they can get. My colleagues and I will always laugh at this cause we all know how much we bill a month. A week after they come in, he unloads piles of work onto them. Kinda good for me cause at least someone can ease my burden off.