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Focus: 4 New square, Bar Wars

This is a thoughtful article, and makes some good points; but is marred by the lazy cliche at the end about the Bar being an "antiquated profession". Apparently no journalist feels his or her work is complete without a ritual incantation of this dog-eared slur on the profession. I appreciate that this is a convenient journalist's fiction, which goes with the horsehair, robes, etc, & sits conveniently with that other lazy (and false) cliche about all judges living in the 19th century, but the fact is that the vast majority of chambers are modern, flexible businesses, closer in many cases to the cutting edge of best practice and modern business techniques than most solicitors' firms. If they were not, they would not survive - the Bar has had it extremely tough for at least the last 15 years. Furthermore, there was nothing about this case that indicated anything "antiquated" about the Bar generally or this chambers in particular. I believe that affairs are even known to happen in such dynamic, modern places as solicitors firms and other businesses - like, say, newspapers (shock, horror). Still, why spoil a good cliche with a bit of truth?

15-Mar-2010

5:05 pm