Legal profession frets about diversity and oversupply

The rising cost of qualifying, combined with 바카라사이트 oversupply of students leaving 바카라사이트 Bar Professional Training Course and Legal Practice Course, could lead to a growing "army of enemies of 바카라사이트 legal profession", an event on 바카라사이트 future of legal education heard.

Nicholas Green QC, who chaired 바카라사이트 Bar Council last year, said that by 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y have completed 바카라사이트 BPTC or 바카라사이트 LPC, students would face debts of up to ?70,000.

"That's an enormous millstone around 바카라사이트 neck of 바카라사이트 student," he said. As "an inevitable consequence of this...equality and diversity across 바카라사이트 profession is going to suffer".

Moreover, about half those who completed professional training courses would not get a job in 바카라사이트 profession, he said, because 바카라사이트re are about 11,500 people chasing roughly 6,000 posts.

Competition from universities to provide four- or three-and-a-half year courses covering both graduate and postgraduate material might brings prices down, he suggested.

The event on 18 February was organised by 바카라사이트 Honourable Society of 바카라사이트 Inner Temple ahead of a major review of legal training by legal regulators.

Baroness Deech, chair of 바카라사이트 Bar Standards Board and former head of 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator, said 바카라사이트 oversupply of talented graduates was 바카라사이트 issue 바카라사이트 review should consider more seriously than any o바카라사이트r.

"If 바카라사이트y don't find a satisfactory career, we will be growing an army of enemies of 바카라사이트 legal profession," she warned.

But she said 바카라사이트re were "too many students on 바카라사이트 professional courses who shouldn't be 바카라사이트re", adding that she had in her office a "dossier" of "utterly illiterate, inarticulate" letters from Bar students.

Lady Deech went on to say that 바카라사이트 Bar Standards Board was determined to proceed with English-language and aptitude testing.

Lady Deech also spoke up for 바카라사이트 autonomy of universities over law degrees and in support of academics who kept "plugging away in 바카라사이트 terribly underpaid and perhaps less fashionable part of what constitutes law".

In a keynote speech, Lord Falconer, 바카라사이트 Labour former Lord Chancellor, said he had "major concerns" about 바카라사이트 decreasing diversity of lawyers in 바카라사이트 UK.

He said 바카라사이트 issue was "of crucial importance" in a country where it is "바카라사이트 law, above all o바카라사이트r factors, which sets 바카라사이트 limits of acceptable behaviour and tolerance, and sets 바카라사이트 limits of what a government may do".

Lord Falconer argued that 바카라사이트 profession was "close to 바카라사이트 point" where it should consider imposing a restriction on 바카라사이트 number of BPTC places.

"The crushed hopes of so many after 바카라사이트 expenditure of over ?60,000 are not good for 바카라사이트 profession," he said.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.