In highlighting the plight of harassed and harangued trainees earlier this month, it seems the Gazette has raised hackles in an unexpected quarter. Our article asserted that trainees 'can be treated as the bottom of the food chain - little more than low-paid menial staff on the same level as office assistants'. This prompted the following letter, along with a copy of the Gazette (see [2005] Gazette, 3 November, 1) with the offending paragraph firmly highlighted:

'I write to complain about your recent article in the Law Society Gazette, which I have kindly enclosed for your attention out of my office assistant's menial salary. Although office assistants may be one of the lowest ranking in the business world, we still strive to do our best. Without your office assistants, your precious Gazette would probably never make it to press. Although not all of us were born with a silver spoon up our arses, we still managed to function as human beings in the same way that you do. This includes being able to read and write, amazingly enough. I urge you to show a bit more respect in the future, as we do to our colleagues.'


Sadly, the letter was anonymous, but Obiter would like to apologise to office assistants everywhere for any offence caused - particularly to those who might be responsible for delivering the Gazette to solicitors' desks.