News that the Law Society is turning its attention to the wide-eyed law students at the very beginning of their legal careers is welcome, but it may be a case of too little too late.
The Law Society is now addressing a problem which has required attention for some time, with no one to date prepared to take responsibility. For the past five years the number of Legal Practice Course (LPC) places – and consequently LPC graduates – has significantly exceeded the number of training contracts available. Over time, this has led to bitter competition for places, not only at the magic circle firms, who take on hundreds of trainees each year, but also through the regions, on to the high street and crucially in the long-suffering legal aid firms. Many students have sat and re-sat exams, completed hundreds of application forms and been rewarded with letters of rejection. News that a career in the law is no longer an easy ride to a champagne lifestyle and early retirement may not be a shock to some, but to the students who have been dazzled by glossy brochures provided by law firms and LPC providers the reality can be hard to take.
