An address to the students of the Society’s School of Law on the qualities required in order to become a good lawyer.

Law Society’s Gazette, March 1960

On Being a Good SolicitorAn address to the students of the Society’s School of LawBy Sir Sydney Littlewood, President of The Law Society

The main qualities required of a solicitor are, first of all, knowledge; you must know your law, and you will find that if you do not, you cannot be a good solicitor. I was articled to a man to whom I owe a great deal. He gave me only one piece of bad advice. He said to me as I was about to take my Final Examination: "Get through your Final, shut your books and forget the damned law." To be a good solicitor you must know and continue to know the law.

Next you will have to have an understanding of people. No two clients, you will find, are quite the same, and although the law remains the same, the way of dealing with clients under similar legal conditions will be quite different, and so you must have understanding.

Lastly, if you are going to be a good solicitor, you must have a genuine love for your fellow men. You must delight in helping clients in their troubles and difficulties. The man who thinks of becoming a solicitor with only the making of money in mind, would be wise to go elsewhere right away – and sell fried fish or potato crisps, or something like that. The joy of being a solicitor is being able to help, and as I have said, for that you will have to keep up your knowledge of the law…