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The solicitors brand has been in decline for many years now. Partly because the law has been dumbed down ( Conveyancing is more and more of an administrative process and there is no legal aid so no need for highly trained and experienced advocates ). When I set about training ( 37 years ago )there was pressure from the Law Society to become a graduate rather than follow the five years articles route because of a push to bring about an all graduate profession. The reality is one needs some academic skills but admin skills are just as important if not more so. Difficult to see why other legal professionals should lack parity with us if our role does not require specialist knowledge/ability any more. Once upon a time the solicitors profession came from the ranks of the privileged few but that changed slowly and the profession and all others (thanks to Harold Shipman ) are no longer held in high regard. Able men who had no money or connections became solicitors managing clerks and ran the show whilst their superiors took all the glory. Eventually they became Legal Executives and now seek parity. So what? What are we trying to protect?