For hundreds of years, solicitors’ training followed the apprenticeship model. Aspiring lawyers started as apprentices (articled clerks), became journeymen (employed solicitors) and finally, if they performed well enough, became master craftsmen (partners). In exchange for their fee, articled clerks were taken on, trained and mentored by particular partners. Although formal training did not exist, high gearing levels were rare; so personal, if sometimes idiosyncratic, attention was pretty well assured.
By the early 1970s, however, the world was changing fast. In response to economic growth and the internationalisation of UK-based businesses, law firms grew rapidly and hired large numbers of trainee solicitors. The highly personal element of one-to-one relationships with particular partners diminished to be replaced by systematic training and development. On-the-job training was also available and partnership prospects were good.
