Ruthie has only just woken up to the proposals in the Clementi report. Worrying really, since she works in a law firm and the method of provision of legal services is about to change radically. But symptomatic of the reason why change is needed.
Lawyers are not managers or businesspeople. They are far too clever and busy memorising the definition of recklessness to worry themselves with such trivialities. Consequently the quality of management in many law firms is appalling. Ruthie thinks that a simple solution would be to include more management training in the professional course. Or force all lawyers to complete management training at 3 years PQE the first point in time when a lawyer is likely to be given any real authority within a firm.
Clementi thinks that the quality of legal services can be improved by having external (non-legal) owners. Lawyers already have a reputation for being ruthless and money grabbing, Ruthie wonders whether an external owner, having sunk a large amount of money into a firm will concern themselves with matters such as conflict and confidentiality, at the expense of profit.
Of course there will be a “fit to own” test, and non-legal owners will be prevented in interfering in the day to day management of the Firm.
Yeah, right.
I wonder if, when you pay a sum on account for example, the lawyer will say to you: “That will be £500. Do you have a clubcard?”