Mileage in dialogue with LSC

These pages have often reported on the occasionally fractious relationship between legal aid practitioners and the Legal Services Commission (LSC).

Indeed, emotions have been highest among criminal law specialist solicitors.Therefore, it is heartening news that successful negotiations between specialist criminal lawyers and the LSC have averted judicial review proceedings over mileage.

The issue is symbolic.

The LSC accepted that an anomaly existed; it was rectified after negotiations with lawyers and Law Society representations.Commission officials must be well aware that criminal practitioners have other concerns about the way criminal contracts are operating; likewise, there are wider areas of concern to legal aid practitioners generally.In this week's features, we illustrate the potential recruitment crisis facing the legal aid sector (see page 24).

And at last weekend's Solicitors Annual Conference, panellists gave bleak responses to the question: what can be done to attract young lawyers to publicly funded work?'I'm not sure we can,' replied one.

'Good pay and recognition,' responded Law Society President David McIntosh.

It is to be hoped that discussions with the commission and government can be turned to these broader issues as well.