This has been a monumental week for the legal profession and those who govern it.

The House of Lords has potentially derailed the government's Constitutional Reform Bill, possibly putting proposals concerning a supreme court, the appointment of judges and the abolition of the Lord Chancellor's post on hold until after the next general election.

The year of Clementi has now kicked off in earnest with the release of Sir David's consultation paper.

And just for good measure, the Master of the Rolls has approved the recent decision by the Law Society Council to drop its ban on referral fees.

These developments will have a significant impact on lawyers in all branches of the legal profession.

But practitioners will have their eyes especially trained on the Clementi consultation.

Will there be support for the creation of a legal services authority with full regulatory powers, or a legal services board with regulatory oversight only, or a board that oversees governing bodies that are themselves clearly divided along representation and regulation lines?

Thrown into the mix are yet more letters - MDPs are probably out, SDPs (similar disciplinary partnerships) seem to have been short-lived, and LDPs (legal disciplinary practices) are the alphabet soup du jour.

Outside investment in law firms seems to get strong backing, but 'supermarket law' receives a cooler reception.

However this mix emerges by December, it is a safe bet that 2004 will be the year that shapes the legal profession for the next generation if not longer.