The government’s legal aid proposals gave rise to a new traffic record for an item on the Gazette’s website. But that record didn’t last long, you might be surprised to learn.

Even more compelling to online commenters was a very readable blog by our own James Dean on his personal ‘consultation’ at the first shopping centre branch of burgeoning legal network QualitySolicitors. I think we can safely say that ‘mystery shopping’ is a new departure for this 107-year-old journal, and we don’t intend to make a habit of it. But we considered the exercise justified in this case because many readers clearly perceive that QS is breaking new ground in attempting to transform legal services into a full-on retail experience.

This is not to everyone’s taste, clearly, and the network’s aggressive and apocalyptic marketing has also made some in the profession uncomfortable.

However, whatever you think of QS, the network’s founders surely deserve credit for taking the fight to the big-brand competitors that are sure to enter the market when alternative business structures arrive in less than a year. What would their critics have them do?

Says one commenter: ‘Law firms are not renowned for trying new things, but they absolutely have to do so, or countless firms will disappear post-October 2011.’

Do you agree? Join the debate on our blogs page.