The squeeze on the legal profession is in evidence in the latest annual statistics report from the Law Society, which reveals the first decline for over 20 years in both the number of practising and non-practising solicitors across England and Wales; a decline in all but the largest private practice firms; and a further drop in the number of lawyers making partner.
The representative body’s Annual Statistics Report revealed that as of 31 July 2013, there were 158,644 solicitors on the Roll, of which 127,676 solicitors held practising certificates (PCs). Both figures were down on 2012 – by 4.4% and 0.85% respectively – for the first time in over twenty years.
