Law Society's Gazette, November 1981

Brian’s brief fails to convince

Maybe it was the joyous announcement that the future Duke of Cambridge had been conceived, but the Gazette letters page had a light-hearted edge throughout the month.

Edward Goldsmith wrote to the Gazette bemoaning the unrealistic portrayal of solicitors in a recent episode of Coronation Street, as a lawyer tried to help bouffant-haired Brian Tilsley (pictured) off an assault charge.

‘Would it not be reasonable for the Law Society to contact Granada and inform them of our concern about this aspect of the programme?’ It seems Brian had no idea he was entitled to legal aid, as regulars at the Rovers Return were forced to organise a whip-round just to pay for his access to his solicitor.

Lawyers turn up the heat in Harrogate

There were debates and arguments aplenty when the Law Society’s annual conference pitched up in Harrogate 30 years ago this month.

Solicitors met to discuss a range of issues affecting the profession, not least the advent of conveyancers setting up their own practice for specialist work.

This, complained some delegates, was seeing traditional firms undercut by their new competitors, especially as ‘more people telephone around to get estimates’ in these modern times. Moya Quinlan, president of the Irish law society, spoke out against the recent arrival of self-promotion, the Gazette noting she ‘did not want to advertise and did not want more work’. Other delegates felt a little advertising was not a problem, so long as it was restricted to small columns in reputable newspapers.

One guest from Canada felt the public perception of solicitors was not what it should be: ‘the question was whether the public was getting enough information about the profession and their legal costs’.

Clients also wanted to open up the market as they perceived there was ‘very little competition’ in the profession. Talking points weren’t always so serious, as Christopher Hansen’s letter the following week proved. He wrote: ‘The annual conference of the British Medical Association is currently being held at San Diego in California. Is it not possible for the Law Society to arrange its annual conference abroad - preferably at a place with good beaches, plenty of sunshine and cheap alcohol?