The Law Society is finally investigating the possibility of an aptitude test for the LPC.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is already girding its loins to introduce an entry test for the BPTC (formerly known as the BVC). The huge numbers of students attempting the course with little or no chance of gaining pupillage was becoming a bit embarrassing, frankly, and there were dark rumblings that the numbers of sub-standard students on the course were holding back their more able peers.
With twice as many LPC places as there are training contracts, similar developments for solicitors seem inevitable, and - as first reported by Legal Futures - the Law Society has now confirmed that it has appointed a consultant to report on feasibility of introducing an aptitude test.
But it seems that actually introducing such a test is like passing Scylla and Charybdis. The law schools - who are, lest we forget, money-making enterprises - are unlikely to want their student numbers cut. And then there's the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which created a major problem for the BSB when its aptitude test was first proposed. The OFT took the view that it was anti-competitive to discourage less able students from spending up to £15,000 on a course which would do them bugger all good. Reducing student numbers would, the OFT argued, lead to "reduced choice for chambers" and "decreased quality". Hmmm. The BPTC got around this by making the pilot test impossible to fail. Brilliant.
So expect similar objections to arise for the LPC test, and some have suggested that the test might be made voluntary as a result. But then applying for the LPC itself - and stumping up the enormous fees - are also voluntary, and that doesn't stop thousands of people emerging into the post-LPC sunlight with no training contract and a massive debt to repay. Because thesausage factories law schools - whether charities or not - will currently take pretty much anyone with a passable degree and a bag of cash.
In the meantime the Law Soc is also attempting to encourage more firms to provide training contracts. And RollOnFriday is looking forward to reading its "warts and all" guide to the profession, to be published next month.
Tip Off ROF
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is already girding its loins to introduce an entry test for the BPTC (formerly known as the BVC). The huge numbers of students attempting the course with little or no chance of gaining pupillage was becoming a bit embarrassing, frankly, and there were dark rumblings that the numbers of sub-standard students on the course were holding back their more able peers.
With twice as many LPC places as there are training contracts, similar developments for solicitors seem inevitable, and - as first reported by Legal Futures - the Law Society has now confirmed that it has appointed a consultant to report on feasibility of introducing an aptitude test.
But it seems that actually introducing such a test is like passing Scylla and Charybdis. The law schools - who are, lest we forget, money-making enterprises - are unlikely to want their student numbers cut. And then there's the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which created a major problem for the BSB when its aptitude test was first proposed. The OFT took the view that it was anti-competitive to discourage less able students from spending up to £15,000 on a course which would do them bugger all good. Reducing student numbers would, the OFT argued, lead to "reduced choice for chambers" and "decreased quality". Hmmm. The BPTC got around this by making the pilot test impossible to fail. Brilliant.
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The OFT yesterday |
So expect similar objections to arise for the LPC test, and some have suggested that the test might be made voluntary as a result. But then applying for the LPC itself - and stumping up the enormous fees - are also voluntary, and that doesn't stop thousands of people emerging into the post-LPC sunlight with no training contract and a massive debt to repay. Because the
In the meantime the Law Soc is also attempting to encourage more firms to provide training contracts. And RollOnFriday is looking forward to reading its "warts and all" guide to the profession, to be published next month.