Gazette readers may recall a school careers service tool which, in response to a list of questions covering aptitudes and personal preferences, came up with a shortlist of possible careers. It could throw up thought-provoking surprises, and was certainly an advance on the career advisers of old – apt to suggest ‘nurse’ or ‘secretary’ for girls, and various now-defunct trades for boys.

A modern version for the millennial lawyers now starting their careers might throw up the surprise ‘private client solicitor’ – and with good reason. While some in the profession kick against the dehumanising impact of ever-growing technical specialisation, the complexity and variety of private client work keeps growing.

I stock 664449540

To the staples of birth, death and taxes we can add mental capacity, Brexit, ‘digital legacies’ and cross-border disputes. Inheritance disputes make front-page news, whereas securitisation and contract rarely do.

The sector’s appeal is obvious to practitioner Gary Rycroft: ‘It’s endlessly fascinating because of the myriad ways people live their lives.’

And yet ‘private client’ is a lawyer demographic that is ageing, not through falling client demand, but because younger lawyers are not choosing it in sufficient numbers. The latter should surely give it another look – not least, perhaps, because the ‘myriad’ advice demanded is less likely than some disciplines to be hobbled by armies of ‘lawyer robots’.

 

Topics