Law Society’s Gazette, November 1969

The lot of the 5 year articled clerk [letter to the editor]As an initiation the articled clerk is, unless very lucky, thrust into an office to spend many a useless hour counting the cobwebs around the room, relieved only by the exhilaration of the odd conveyance or Law Gazette. From this exulted (sic) position he is able to gaze upon the other unfortunates such as doctors, chartered accountants and such like, slaving away in colleges and universities; they are forced into social activities such as parties, dances, discotheques, rag weeks and so on.

The next ceremony to be undertaken is the law college. Not for our articled clerk the frivolity and diversity found by his brother unfortunates. No, no, The Law Society prepares one of the hardest examinations in the country (though why it has to be so hard no-one has really discovered) which has a preceding two year course. But wait for it, this two year course is crammed into the student in less than a year. This of course is not a normal college, oh no, nothing so enjoyable. There is one class a day, the rest of the day to be spent studying…

Are we not lucky not to be a prospective chartered accountant or doctor. We do not have to face up to whole days of college. We are not forced into each other’s company, joking, discussing events between lectures or anything else a normal student does. No sir, we’re above all that. Who else can quote Latin phrases with such bad pronunciation or have such dusty books, or pay so much for the privilege…

Martin Gover, Wallington, Surrey