Readers have been queuing up to dispossess Nazia Ahmed of the crown of youngest person to qualify as a solicitor (see (2006) Gazette, 3 August, 8). She managed it a month after her 22nd birthday, but has come up against our older contributors, who had the benefit - for these purposes at least - of the old system of five-year articles for those coming straight out of school at 16.



Thus, those at least to match Ms Ahmed include Peter Smith of Lanyon Bowdler in Telford (qualified 1967), Gerald Sherriff of TLT's London office (1965) and Jack Black (1954). However, Tony Spiers, a partner at Exeter firm Michelmores who received an MBE last year, was 21, seven months and a few days old when he qualified in 1966 - he had passed his part II Law Society examinations when 20, but had to wait until he was older than 21 and had completed his articles (remember them?) before he could be admitted.



But our current champion is George Hardee, who spent his entire career at what is now City firm Richards Butler, latterly as its senior partner, and was admitted in 1941 at the age of 21 years, four months and three days, while he was in the forces.



He might have been usurped by Malcolm Hall, now retired to Tenerife, but for a forgetful principal. Mr Hall had done all he needed to qualify by the age of 20, but because he could not be admitted until he was 21, he joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1941 (after they had told him in 1939 to qualify before joining up - 'the best advice of my life') and left it to his principal to apply for admission to the roll. This he sadly forgot to do until December 1942, a year and eight months after Mr Hall passed his part II exam. He was 22 years and five months old. 'I still have my practising certificate,' Mr Hall tells us, 'but these days I am of limited use.'