LawSoc warns students of pitfalls on path to legal profession

The Law Society is launching a campaign to encourage students to consider the risks involved before pursuing a career in law.

The campaign will highlight the increased competition prospective solicitors face as they bid to get a foothold in the profession. It will also include information about the substantial costs of legal training.

During 2008 7,606 students successfully passed the LPC while just 6,303 new training contracts were registered, meaning that more than 1,000 LPC graduates failed to secure a contract.

Commenting on the campaign, a Law Society spokesperson said: "This is about responsible management of entry to the profession. Alongside this campaign the Society and the profession have long been working hard to create a level playing field for those who are genuinely talented and meritorious in order to overcome the barrier of financial disadvantage."

The campaign will be run in conjunction with the Law Society's Junior Lawyers Division (JLD).

Kevin Poulter, a solicitor at Wake Smith & Tofields and a member of the JLD board said: "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 firms and LPC providers, the reality can be hard to take."

He added that he hoped the current fierce levels of competition to secure training contracts would not see a return to recruitment via "old boys public school networks".

The number of solicitors on the roll has grown from 75,072 in 1998 to 112,433 in 2008 - an increase of 49.8% in 10 years.

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