Andrew Sutherland is quite correct - and accurately describes my route into the profession.

What he does not say is that, certainly in my day, I believe there was no alternative to attending courses with the excellent College of Law either at Guildford or Lancaster Gate. One could say that the problems started when other providers were authorised to provide such training courses, and the numbers grew in excess of the availability of either the need for solicitors or training contracts.

If, as Mr Sutherland says, the training contract (under whatever name you give it) had to be in place first, you would not have the common situation of law students taking on further debts attending courses which lead them nowhere.

Simon Howell, Cumberland Ellis, London WC1