Written in the stars
Stop the press! What was foretold has come to pass. For the first time in more than 20 years, the number of practising certificate holders in England and Wales has fallen, says Kevin Poulter
Is it, heaven forbid, time to convert to accountancy? Is this the long-anticipated proof of the imminent collapse of the legal profession? Is this the end of SJ? Don't be silly. It could signal the start of a new era, however.
Having seen the profession grow almost threefold over the past few decades, the minimal drop in the number of practising certificates last year (0.9 per cent) doesn't seem like much to get excited about. If we look at the other end of the profession, though, the number of students starting law courses has continued to grow along with the number of students enrolling with the SRA ahead of starting the legal practice course.
Despite a recession, a government that seems intent on taking work away from lawyers, and the rise in university tuition fees, competition for places on law courses and later for training contracts had become increasingly fierce.
With the news that newly appointed ABS Riverview Law will welcome not only ten trainees but an additional ten legal apprentices this year, it may be expected that the number of solicitors will continue to fall. The explosion in paralegal positions, the introduction of legal apprentices and attraction of the CILEx route will leave the Law Society scratching its head and questioning its role if its marketshare carries on diminishing.
In a turn of events not even contemplated by Mother Shipton - Knaresborough's one-time cave-dwelling resident, Russell Grant - Yorkshire has bucked the trend, seeing a rise from 7,856 in 2012 to... wait for it... 7,864 practising solicitors in 2013.
Whether this represents a genuine boom for solicitors in the area, is an anomaly or means that senior partners are just taking a little longer to retire is not clear at this stage. Nonetheless, it is good to see the region succeeding. The only other region to see an increase is the east of England; again, the reasons are not known.
All in all, these figures do not represent the stark warning aspiring newcomers may have expected. If this is the start of a downward spiral in the number of practising solicitors influenced by the Legal Services Act, the introduction of alternative business structures, and our clients waking up to exorbitant legal fees and shopping around, it is yet to be seen. If so, it is a slow start indeed.
Picking up the pace, it's only one week until the London Legal Walk and the SJ team has been out along the Thames in Lycra bodysuits and legwarmers. There is still time to sign up. Head over to the Legal Support Trust page.
If you can't make it, photos and stories from the event will be in a future issue and you can follow events live on Twitter. And you could always sponsor us.
Finally, a warm welcome to John van der Luit-Drummond who joins us as our legal news hound. If you have a story, a campaign or a burning desire to speak to one of us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Kevin Poulter is editor at large of Solicitors Journal