Aside from a gathering of Royal Society luminaries, it would be hard to find a more concentrated source of brainpower than that available in a major law firm. In today’s meritocratic business environment, achieving promotion to partnership is now a matter of intellect and hard work; it is no longer simply a case of it being ‘Buggins’s turn’.
Moreover, I am talking about intellect in the round. I have worked with a host of lawyers over the years and, barring a few oddballs, they have come across as well-adjusted individuals with a host of interests and a healthy knowledge of the wider world. While some lawyers, particularly judges, may still relish the chance to imply a lofty unworldliness – “Who is Britney Spears?” – we all know that they are having us on. Most of them are in touch, willingly or otherwise, with real life.
