A revolution in social mobility for lawyers?

Given the huge hikes in University fees in the last few years, it is not surprising that many students are becoming sceptical about the value of degrees, and opting for alternative ways of achieving their career ambitions.  As might be expected, many of the less academic degrees at dubious quality universities are being shunned as a consequence, but it seems that the full-time study even of such high-brow subjects as law are not immune to the winds of change and fewer students are willing to fork out £27,000 in fees and probably another £20,000 in living expenses to study a 3 year degree course which qualifies them....well, to do some more studying.

There has for a long time been a route into the legal profession as a paralegal or legal executive without going to university – through ILEx – and last year the Government provided £1m in funding for a new apprenticeship scheme for paralegals, which is expected to launch this year.  A number of more forward-thinking law firms have risen to the challenge themselves and begun to offer apprenticeships for school leavers for legal exec roles. However, until now, there has not in recent years been an alternative direct way into becoming a fully-fledged solicitor, without either doing a law degree, or another degree followed by the CPE.

That is all about to change.  The Minister for skills, Matthew Hancock, has announced government plans to introduce new higher-level apprenticeships, equivalent to bachelors degrees and masters degrees, in subjects including law, accountancy and engineering.  BPP Law School intends to launch an apprenticeship scheme for school leavers wanting to become lawyers, and is currently in talks with regulators on the issue.

Law is often a profession mired in intellectual snobbery, and I am sure there will be many who will decry the fact that these steps will lower standards.  I am not at all sure that this will be the case.  Much of what I studied during my 3 year law degree has been of very little, if any, value in my working life (never once have I been asked to opine on Roman Law or Jurisprudence, both of which were compulsory topics).  The study of law is essentially vocational and I think it is well suited to an apprenticeship style of learning which is routed firmly in the “real world” of day to day legal practice.

I am sure that many academic high-flyers who have the luxury of parents willing and able to fund them through university, or a relaxed attitude to the prospect of spending many years mired in debt, will continue to study law at our top class universities – and good luck to them, I would not want to knock that.  But it must be a good thing that for those of more modest means, or whose personal circumstances mean that a full time degree course is not a practical or desirable option, there will now be a sensible route which could potentially take them to the top of their profession. 

The proof of the pudding will be in the attitude of the big firms to those who have come through the apprenticeship route.  It is easy to see how the apprenticeships could be a great route in to smaller law firms doing relatively routine legal work – and that in itself would be a step in the right direction for social mobility.  But the real added value would be if the magic circle firms could embrace the concept and genuinely regard applicants with an apprenticeship background as on a par with those who have studied at university, provided they demonstrate the right aptitudes and attitudes.  Now that really would make a revolutionary change within the legal profession.  The question is, will any of the magic circle firms have the guts to give it a go?