New plans to test would-be lawyers

The Law Society is investigating a legal aptitude test to stem the tide of solicitors entering the profession.

The Law Society is investigating ways to stem the tide of students entering the legal profession Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian.

Should wannabe solicitors have to take a test before being allowed to start their vocational training? That is the question the Law Society is now investigating in an effort to stem the tide of students flooding into the field only to find once they have finished the legal practice course (LPC) that there are simply no jobs.

I wrote in July about the growing scandal of too many students and not enough training contracts, and it emerged last week that the Law Society has appointed a consultant to look at whether it should follow the Bar Standards Board by introducing an aptitude test.

Such a test would stop students from incurring large expense (the LPC can cost up to £12,500, the bar professional training course even more) in return for little reward, and help law firms maximise the value of the time invested in training.