I have often been asked what made me decide to be a lawyer.
To be honest I would have to say that it seemed a secure career that would be
intellectually challenging and provide a reasonable living. But I know that I
am not alone in saying that there was something more than just that. I
genuinely wanted to fight for justice for ordinary people who were having to
battle against powerful government bodies or wealthy Companies including
insurers.
I could point to many solicitors and barristers who would
say the same. Justice for all has been seen as a foundation stone for any
civilised society. The great civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King said – ‘The
moral arm of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.’ This has drawn many
into the profession for centuries. Never before has the opportunity to do it
been under greater threat.
In April 2013 we will see the worst cuts to legal aid since
the scheme was created after WW2. Thousands of our most vulnerable citizens –
the unemployed, the disabled, tenants of rogue landlords, those going through
family breakdown will have their right to legal representation swept away. I
have already commented on the effect that this has on access to justice –
Another consequence of this will be to deter a whole
generation of students from choosing the law as a career. If they want to fight
for the rights of the weak and vulnerable then it seems that this particular
option is not for them.
And it is not only legal aid. We have seen recent
devastating announcements about cuts to the fees which lawyers can recover for
pursuing damages claims for ordinary people – in many cases as much as 60%.
Lawyers will not get a lot of sympathy for this. But it will have wider
effects. The ability to recover fees from wealthy insurers and companies has
been the gateway to justice for many who do not have the massive resources
available to them. If lawyers are simply unable to work at those rates, and stay
in business, then that gateway is closed.
The main beneficiaries will be the
wealthy insurers who will see a huge increase in their profits. You don’t need me to tell you that Insurance Companies are
big supporters of the Conservative Party –
I already know of firms who are planning closure leading to
inevitable job losses – not only of lawyers but of hundreds of support workers.
So again if anyone is attracted to the law to fight for the
weak then again it would seem that the door is being slammed in their faces. Are
we going to be left with a profession which represents the wealthy commercial
sector but is barred from representing the less well off?
That is a real and serious danger. I suspect that the real fight will only begin once the cuts begin to bite.
There's nothing better than having the ability to help people who need help. My daughter is thinking about following in our footsteps (mom and dad are both lawyers :-) we told her that would be exciting SO LONG AS she is passionate about helping others. That's what makes a great lawyer. Everything else will fall in to place. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Good stuff! Mitch
ReplyDeleteExcellent!! The very reason I came into the law profession was like many I truely wanted to make a difference. Speaking up for those without a voice,defending the vulnerable and fighting for justice. There are some very public mis-givings regarding the claiming for PPI and other compensations relating to Banks and Insurance companies at the moment.I feel much of this is due to the incorrigible tactics adopted by greedy unethical Claims Management Companies who quite frankly are fueling a tarnished public opion for all of us. Despite the bad press, there are many of us out there fighting for those people who are unable to complete a form , read or write or have the constitution to follow any claims proceedures. There are plenty of good lawyers like me who are still fighting for justice in all areas of the law. So if you are considering a career in Law I urge each and everyone of you to keep fighting. I perish the thought of the alternative.
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