Constraints on reform 8.22 Education of itself cannot change litigation practices. It is possible that the most significant educational influence on lawyers is their first place of employment as a lawyer. The skills, attitudes and values learned in that employment can determine the way in which that lawyer practises. The impact of academic or practical education and training may be limited. The client focus 8.23 The demands of contemporary legal practice focus lawyers on their clients' interests and competitiveness.
Legal practice is a business subject to increasing competition.
Lawyers are paid by the client and therefore have a strong financial incentive to rigorously pursue the client's interest. The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct noted in 1996 that As the organisations in which law is practised become larger and more complex, as competition and instability in the market for legal services increases and as many legal practitioners experience a growing sense of insecurity, there are real dangers that professional standards will be threatened unless counter-balancing steps are taken to reinforce ethical values. The communication between lawyers and their clients can impact upon clients' expectations, process choice and attitudes to litigation. It is partly for this reason that legal and other education could be used as a vehicle for improving our litigation and review system. 6 Journal of Judicial Administration 138, 139.