Exclusive: BLP gives LPC students a bollocking

The training principal at Berwin Leighton Paisner has sent a furious missive to the firm's LPC students at The College of Law Moorgate. The bollocking came after reports circulated that they weren't being quite as diligent as they should be on the firm's bespoke LPC+ course:


From: Anthony Lennox, Training Principal, Berwin Leighton Paisner Sent: 19th May 2011 Dear All As you may know, I am the partner with responsibility for trainees at BLP as well as being the firm's "Training Principal". I work closely with both the graduate recruitment and learning and development teams in overseeing your training contracts with us. It has recently come to my attention that concerns have been raised about your collective behaviour in two of your LPC+ electives, namely, Acquisitions and Public Companies. We have received complaints from the College of Law that a number of you have been using previous students' notes in the workshops and, worryingly, already have the answers to workshop questions that have not been distributed as yet. I understand that even after being warned not to attend the workshops with these historic notes/answers and asked to complete the questions yourself, several of you have continued to use them in workshops. I am told that the problem has become so acute that one of your tutors has had to resort to banning notes from tables during these sessions. As you will appreciate, this is embarrassing feedback to receive and I am extremely disappointed that you are not participating fully in the LPC+ electives. The feedback from your tutors reflects badly on you as a group as well as BLP's reputation and shows an unacceptable lack of respect towards your tutors and the College of Law. As future employees of BLP we expect you to represent us in a respectful and professional manner. I trust I will not receive anymore negative feedback from the College during the remainder of your workshops and hope that you will revise fully for your final elective exams. Kind regards Anthony Lennox Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

From: Anthony Lennox, Training Principal, Berwin Leighton Paisner
Sent: 19th May 2011

Dear All

As you may know, I am the partner with responsibility for trainees at BLP as well as being the firm's "Training Principal". I work closely with both the graduate recruitment and learning and development teams in overseeing your training contracts with us.

It has recently come to my attention that concerns have been raised about your collective behaviour in two of your LPC+ electives, namely, Acquisitions and Public Companies.

We have received complaints from the College of Law that a number of you have been using previous students' notes in the workshops and, worryingly, already have the answers to workshop questions that have not been distributed as yet.

I understand that even after being warned not to attend the workshops with these historic notes/answers and asked to complete the questions yourself, several of you have continued to use them in workshops.

I am told that the problem has become so acute that one of your tutors has had to resort to banning notes from tables during these sessions.

As you will appreciate, this is embarrassing feedback to receive and I am extremely disappointed that you are not participating fully in the LPC+ electives.

The feedback from your tutors reflects badly on you as a group as well as BLP's reputation and shows an unacceptable lack of respect towards your tutors and the College of Law.

As future employees of BLP we expect you to represent us in a respectful and professional manner. I trust I will not receive anymore negative feedback from the College during the remainder of your workshops and hope that you will revise fully for your final elective exams.

Kind regards

Anthony Lennox

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Reaction to the email was mixed. One source told RollOnFriday that many students were "truly insulted by the insinuation that none of us do any work". Others were less upset, noting that - given that their fees are paid by the firm, along with a £7,200 grant - perhaps they should be knuckling down.

A spokeswoman for the firm said that she had nothing to add to the email.

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