Solicitors' CLS role recedes

First-Year Review: providers have become 'subordinate elements' in partnerships

Legal aid solicitors are 'subordinate elements' who are playing an increasingly smaller role in Community Legal Service (CLS) partnerships, a report claimed this week.The post-implementation review of the CLS, which examines whether the aims of the service were met in its first year, suggested that although solicitors are the main providers of legal advice, their involvement in the partnerships promised at its inception is 'low and diminishing'.

The first CLS partnerships were created in 2000, with the latest launched in Southampton last month.

But the report, which was commissioned by the Lord Chancellor's Department, said: 'A few problems have arisen where partnerships have focused too exclusively on Legal Services Commission (LSC) and local government partners, and service providers find themselves to be subordinate elements in partnerships.' The report also suggested that the public is unaware of what CLS services are on offer and where they can be obtained because publicity has focused too much on concepts.However, it praised the success of the Justask! Web site and the implementation of the quality mark.Richard Miller, director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, said the report reflected a perceived bias in favour of the not-for-profit-sector when it comes to resources.He said that at the very least, those solicitors attending CLS partnership meetings, or producing documentation for them, should be able to recover their expenses.Law Society President David McIntosh said: 'While the Law Society welcomes and supports the development of the partnerships, there have been difficulties in achieving a balance among the participating providers; in many cases solicitors are playing major roles within their partnerships and every effort is being made to further this process.'An LSC spokesman said it has been learning from the 'warts and all' report.

'We are doing all we can to encourage solicitor representation in the partnerships, and most partnerships involve solicitors,' he said.

'More are always welcome.'The report recommended a full independent evaluation of the CLS in 2003.

Legal Action Group director Karen Mackay said that was too long to wait: 'I don't think the LSC and LCD have a true picture of what is going on, and this is what is needed.' Paula Rohan