A firm of Bradford solicitors is bucking the trend after a huge expansion into increasingly unpopular legal aid work.

Switalskis, based in Bradford and Wakefield, has become one of the biggest legal aid practices in West Yorkshire.

The 75-strong practice, which specialises in such areas as crime, asylum and those detained under mental health laws, has recruited an additional 14 new staff including eight solicitors in recent months.

In Bradford the firm employs 35 staff, 15 of them solicitors.

Surprisingly, it has not found undue difficulty in recruiting debt-ridden law graduates to what is regarded as the Cinderella of the legal profession with solicitors earning only a fraction of what they can earn elsewhere, especially in the corporate sector.

Michael Kennedy, a partner at Switalski's, said there had been deliberate government policy to squeeze legal aid work with fees practically frozen for a decade.

"A lot of other legal practices have been moving out of legal aid work," said Mr Kennedy. "We're bucking the trend. We do still feel there's a future in providing legal aid despite the problems and that's why we've decided to expand.

"About ten years ago, the Government felt the rates should stay the same for criminal and family cases because it could afford to increase them because of other pressures on the budget."

The result, said Mr Kennedy, had been waves of new law graduates emerging from university saddled with £10,000 worth of debt.

Despite the glittering temptations of other money-spinning parts of the profession, some socially-minded solicitors opt for legal aid work.

"That's one of the interesting things," added Mr Kennedy. "We have managed to recruit new lawyers. Some people want to work with disadvantaged people and not in corporate law or conveyancing."

Stephanie Kemp from Leeds is one of Switalski's new intake of recruits. The 23-year-old graduate from Sheffield University has deliberately chosen to complete her training in legal aid in such areas as family and children's law.

"It might seem a bit cheesy but for me it's just to help people," said Miss Kemp. "Everybody has a story to tell. It's a very interesting job and you don't get the same clients all the time.

"We earn significantly less than other solicitors but the money didn't put me off. And I certainly won't be poor as a legal aid solicitor. I just won't earn as much as I would in a commercial firm."

Recognising the difficulties in attracting new blood to legal aid, the Legal Services Commission now sponsors the training contracts for graduates such as Miss Kemp. Switalski's is one of the practices earmarked for such assistance.