Wednesday, 3 September 2014

So whose non-law job are you supporting?

This blogger's attention was riveted by a media release from the Law Society for England and Wales, which reads in relevant part:
"Every 100 legal services jobs support 67 more in the wider economy

In his first speech [which you can read in full here] as Law Society deputy vice-president, Robert Bourns told an audience of City lawyers, financial services firms and think-tanks that for every 100 jobs in the legal services sector, 67 are supported in other areas of the economy.
... 
Robert Bourns also told delegates that:
· Every £1 of output of the UK legal services sector underpins £2.39 of output in the UK economy as a whole.

· Growth in the UK legal services sector is expected to increase to near pre-recession levels in 2015. ..."
Carrying an extra burden:
some folk just grin
and bear it
The SOLO IP blog has 258 email subscribers.  Assuming that just 50 of them are practising IP as solicitors in England and Wales [having made appropriate deductions from the 258 in respect of patent and trade mark attorneys, practitioners from other jurisdictions, IP administrators, students and people who have signed up to read this blog under a misapprehension that it's to with something completely different], this rather suggests that, while they struggle to earn their humble crust and then extract it from their clients, they are actually paying the wages, national insurance contributions and other outgoings for 33.5 others.

Apart from accountants, book-keepers, sellers of replacement printer cartridges and Starbucks baristas, what callings might these fortunate by-products of even solo IP practice have?  Suggestions, anyone?
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous4 September 2014 at 12:01

    several dozen white van men, staff at Viking Direct, airport parking attendants, a pod of IT consultants, two friendly BT engineers, a gaggle of insurance underwriters and brokers, some bank clerks, an Australian website designer, petrol stationistas, a dishwasher repair man, editorial staff at 5 legal publishers, conference staff at UCL Laws and elsewhere, and a Christmas cake maker.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4 September 2014 at 12:01

    several dozen white van men, staff at Viking Direct, airport parking attendants, a pod of IT consultants, two friendly BT engineers, a gaggle of insurance underwriters and brokers, some bank clerks, an Australian website designer, petrol stationistas, a dishwasher repair man, editorial staff at 5 legal publishers, conference staff at UCL Laws and elsewhere, and a Christmas cake maker.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Filemot4 September 2014 at 12:03

    what are the white van men doing and do they have white coats

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4 September 2014 at 15:17

    This is really hilarious is it not? A few years ago the senior lawyers used to talk about value until surveys suggested that clients had a very different view of the value their lawyers brought to the table.

    This sort of metric (I would love to see the sums) is what one normally sees in industry where each job at one car company creates say three others. In law one job creating 0.67 does not look that smart.

    The legal services industry is a cost to industry it has no other reason to exist.

    So I am not sure what "output" means? The £1 produces £2.39 does not look too smart either. How much of the £1 actually produces no increase and is a cost? There must be a small % of the £1 that produces impressive value. But what is it?

    PS patent attorneys and others are in the same boat.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4 September 2014 at 18:01

    Driving; not since I got my certificate.

    ReplyDelete

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