Each year I wonder where the fee for my practising certificate goes - or, at least, a substantial part of it.

Well, now I know.

Recently, I received full-colour glossy brochures entitled 'Legal Aid enquiry by the Constitutional Affairs Committee', and another brochure, again glossy and in full colour (but two copies of) 'Protecting Rights and tackling Social Exclusion.'

How much did it cost to produce those? How many people were they sent out to? How many people are likely to read them? Those that practise in legal aid areas have to do three chargeable hours of work at 49.70 (criminal legal aid preparation rate) to make the same amount of fees as a civil litigator's one hour's worth.

But they are still under the same pressures regarding fee- earning targets.

There simply is not enough time to read nice glossy brochures like the ones sent out.

The Law Society is making little or no difference as the government hammers away with its changes.

Surely the time has come for us seriously to look ahead at whether the Law Society can truly represent us as a profession, especially as the divide between those who practise publicly funded work and those that don't grows.

Ash Alam, Longfords, Oldham

See [2004] Gazette, 20 May, p16