Plea for support

I refer to Margaret Bailey's letter regarding the legal practice course (LPC) (see [2002] Gazette, 17 January, 15) in which she gives a clearly considered view, but which I believe deals with only part of the problem.

As an LPC external examiner for several years, I have been pleasantly surprised at the professionalism of both staff and students and their earnest desire, respectively, to prepare and be prepared for practice.What I find dispiriting is the expectation among many practitioners that those who have completed the LPC successfully are ready to be solicitors and to undertake major caseloads and responsibility.I opine that this is simply wrong.

The LPC, if properly undertaken and supervised, equips young lawyers to start training contracts.

It is up to the firm and training principal to ensure that proper support and training is given to complete the contract and start practice as a qualified solicitor.

A firm that is unwilling to recognise this obligation should think hard before deciding to take on new trainees.

Proper selection of candidates, adequate training, and wide experience will produce the right solicitors for the future, but at no little cost to the training firm in both time and money.Justin Parker, partner, Morton Fisher Solicitors, Kidderminster