Academic Lawyers and "Legal Practice" in Britain

In the intervening years, it can be asserted with some degree of confidence that the position of the legal scholar in the academic community has, despite the occasional expression of doubt,2 become considerably more secure3 than was the case when Abel-Smith and Stevens wrote.4 Though important, and a subject on which further research needs to be undertaken, it will not be pursued here. Instead, this article focuses on the second part of their statement, namely that university law faculties lacked prestige with the legal profession.5 On at least two occasions recently it has been suggested that in this respect things have changed little in the last twenty years or so. For example, in his recently published Hamlyn lectures, Atiyah remarked

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