Government plans to support an apprenticeship route to qualification as a solicitor – in conjunction with BPP Law School – have made headline news in recent weeks, with many lauding the move as a key step forward for social mobility in the legal profession. Legal Week’s recent Big Question survey on the subject found lawyers split on whether such a move would be positive for diversity or instead create a two-tier profession. Here are some of the best responses:
“Clients expect providers of legal advice to have a high level of intellect. I don’t see how school leavers, not having been academically challenged in a university environment or similar, can attain this purely by work-based training. I suspect they will be treated like office juniors for much of the early part of their careers.” Anon
