As a solicitor in the provinces, I have been interested to note a consistent theme emerging from various legal periodicals, to the effect that a significant number of high-street legal practices are - in the words of a famous army private - 'doomed' unless they change.


I remember from my schooldays that Charles Darwin became famous for his theories of evolution and natural selection. In essence, Darwin's evolutionary selection theory stated that variations within species occur randomly and that success is determined by that organism's ability to survive in its environment. Through the years, many solicitors have proved themselves remarkably resilient and willing to embrace change. This willingness to embrace change, however, has been predicated, in my view, on the basis that such solicitors are still members of a profession.



As the government has discovered in its disputes with the medical profession, there is a limit to commoditisation, and therefore to how far members of the public are willing to accept advice via a call centre or the internet.



In uncertain times, our ethics and professionalism are key qualities which mark us out from mere legal services salesmen in the delivery of legal services.



S J Larcombe, Limbach Banham, Royston, Hertfordshire