Just before Christmas the Conservative Party published figures showing that the number of unemployed solicitors on benefits has climbed 400% in the downturn, to over 1,800. Gazette readers posted a deluge of comments on this story on our website, sparking an impassioned debate about the future of the profession. Do have your say.

It’s true that this is likely to be an underestimate of the real jobless total – many white-collar workers do not claim benefits until they have to. However, since the figure represents under 2% of practising certificate holders, one needs to retain a sense of perspective. Architects and surveyors have fared much worse in percentage terms.

Nevertheless, it can hardly be disputed that there is now a major imbalance between supply and demand, and that this is likely to remain the case for some time. The number of students starting the LPC in 2009 fell just 2.5%; the number of training contracts fell 32%.

The Law Society is rightly stepping up its information campaign warning students of the risks and challenges of pursuing a legal career. The law is no longer a safe haven in an economic storm – if it ever was. But then, what is?

It is also encouraging that the committee is examining incentives to encourage firms to provide training contracts, and promoting routes to qualification that do not involve a training contract. We look forward with interest to reporting its deliberations.