The Gazette 1967/71

(i) Admission as students registered with the Society of students at the Inns or admission as solicitors of persons who have been called to the Bar. (ii) Admission as students at the Inns of persons who have been registered as students with the Society or call to the Bar of persons who have been admitted as solicitors. The purpose of seeking the above mentioned powers is to enable the Society and the Inns to enter into arrangements whereby transfer between the two branches of the profession would be facilitated without the present restrictive con ditions. Whereas the Benchers already have power to deal with such matters the Law Society are at present bound by the statutory provisions and could not enter into such arrangements without an amendment of the present law which would confer the necessary powers on the Council. The system of legal education and training proposed by the Council as far as the solicitors' profession is concerned, subject to getting the necessary statutory powers were set forth in a memorandum dated 21st July, 1961, from the Society to the Commission on Higher Education. It is proposed that the regulations to be made under the new scheme would contain the following provisions: 1. A university degree either in law or another discipline should be required before entering into indentures of apprenticeship. 2. The present division of functions between the universities and the Law Society should be continued namely the university should pro vide lectures on the theoretical aspects of law (e.g. constitutional law, jurisprudence, the law of property contract, tort and equity) while lectures and other training in the practical application of these subjects (e.g. tax law, company law, conveyancing, practice and procedure, probate and administration, book keeping and accounts, professional ethics etc.) should be given as at present in the Society's law school. 3. Subject to satisfactory safeguards including representation of the Society on the Govern ing bodies of the universities the Society would recognise for the purpose of admission examinations conducted by the university law

faculty

in

the

subjects delegated

to

the

universities. 4. There should be flexibility as regards lectures and examinations at the university and the Society's law school but there should be close co-operation between the respective bodies. A student who has registered with the Society should be permitted to take the Society's lectures and other training courses and present for the Society's examinations at such time as might be most convenient to himself. 5. On completion of the courses of training at the University and the professional law school the student should be required to serve as a full time and preferably paid member of the staff of a solicitor's office approved by the Society as an articled clerk. As he would then have taken the basic training and passed the necessary examinations he should become a wholetime paid employee. The term of articles might be shortened by two years. The advantage of postponing the period of articled clerkship until the end of the course is that the student would be freed from the worries and distractions of lectures and examinations and would therefore be of greater service to his employer and would gain the maximum advantage from his employment. 6. On completion of the period of articled clerkship the student should be eligible for admission to the roll. 7. Under a common system of education and training it should be possible for a student to choose either branch of the profession on qualification. Subject to agreement between the Benchers and the Society the aspiring barrister might have served the short term clerkship in a solicitor's office mentioned in this memorandum before call to the Bar. The object of the system should be to enable the student to postpone the vital decision of practising as a barrister or solicitor until the end of the student period. It is inherent in this suggestion that there should be a single professional law school under the supervision and management of the Society and the Inns. 9th January 1970. 22