-- 'By the end of 1996, to a large extent, the confidence of the profession in its leadership will have been re-established.

Regarding the economic health of the profession, that depends on other factors which are more difficult to predict.

The same applies to our own initiatives in council.

But I always feel positive - if you don't then you never get anything done.'Martin Mears, Law Society president and partner at Great Yarmouth firm Mears Hobbs & Durrant-- 'The issues of direct access and partnership have been laid to rest.

I don't envisage them being resurrected again next year.

Although so far we haven't seen an enormous take-up by solicitors of higher rights of audience, there is no room for complacency at the bar.

The bar will only survive if it is better than the competition.

And the future complaints system is something we must resolve in 1996.'David Penry-Davey QC, of 2-3 Gray's Inn Square, 1996 Bar Council Chairman -- 'Reality is the word for the solicitors' profession in 1996.

There will be a helpful dose of it during the year.

It will be a time for solicitors to confront reality and not to rely on illusion.

The self-motivated will flourish and the whingers will be disappointed.'John Hayes, Law Society secretary-general-- 'In 1996 we will see a thorough and stimulating debate of the government's Family Law Bill, which I confidently expect to result in reform to the divorce laws that will make it easier to save marriages.

Secondly, we will be getting to grips with reform of the legal aid system to ensure that the increasing sums of money spent result in better services for users.

Thir dly, that the Lord Chancellor's Department and the legal profession will continue to work together constructively, and ultimately fruitfully, to secure modern, user-friendly legal services for those who look to the system to give them justice.'Solicitor Jonathan Evans MP, newly appointed parliamentary secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department-- '1996 will be seen as the beginning of the end for the Bar.

We will trace the fusion of the profession back to the middle part of this decade.

They won't go without a fight but it is the beginning of the end.'Eileen Pembridge, Law Society Council member and partner at south London firm Fisher Meredith-- 'Little good news.

A legal aid white paper recommending the capping of legal aid in April.

A final response on Lord Woolf's proposals recommending an over-simplified code of rules for the civil courts in July.

Running warfare between different Law Society factions throughout the year.'Roger Smith, director, Legal Action Group -- '1996 will prove to be the year in which solicitors take an interest in reclaiming their Law Society.'Conveyancing campaigner John Edge of Bournemouth firm Edge Leyden & Ellis -- 'Personal injury practices will be getting to grips with conditional fees.

There has been a cautious start but it is undoubtedly the way ahead.

The next 12 months will be crucial.'The white paper on legal aid will be of crucial importance.

The key thing will be how the new block contracts will affect group actions in medical negligence which will still be covered by legal aid.

In group actions the primary issue will be whether fixed fees are stuck to.'Martyn Day, co-ordinator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers environment special interest group and partner at London firm Leigh Day & Co -- 'We will see increased pressure on the profession to look at accreditation of family lawyers.

I would be surprised if any structure was up and running in the course of next year, but the pressure will increase for accreditation, particularly in the context of the legal aid changes.

'There will be an increasing interest in mediation.

Many more lawyers will want to train as mediators.

I expect to see the SFLA running mediation training courses.

We are currently working on who will provide them.'Nigel Shepherd, chairman, Solicitors Family Law Association, and partner at Manchester-based firm Lace Mawer-- 'Opportunities for recruitment at Davies Arnold Cooper are likely to arise because of the merging of other law firms which are less confident about their future.

A lot of firms are talking at the moment.

They are being squeezed on profits and are looking for ways to move forward.'David McIntosh, senior partner at City firm Davies Arnold Cooper-- 'I think mediation and alternative dispute resolution skills are going to become an important addition to the skills which lawyers have, and that is what 1996 will show.'Alastair Logan, mediation specialist at Guildford-based Logan Partnership and Solutions Centre for family mediation-- 'A Labour government will be elected and the first thing it will do is double the legal aid rate.

Solicitors will then be clamouring to do legal aid work because it pays better than the City.'Stephen Wedd, chairman of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association and partner at Brighton firm Wedd Daniel-- 'In the City there will be an even greater commitment to a service culture by professionals, and those firms which can genuinely service globalised industries will be the ones to flourish.'Lesley MacDonagh, Law Society Council member and j oint managing partner at City firm Lovell White Durrant-- '1996 will be the year when all conveyancers will see sense and start charging a reasonable fee for doing a decent job, and a spirit of co-operation and harmony will prevail throughout the Council.'Robert Sayer, Law Society Vice-President and partner at west London firm Sayer Moore & Co