An article entitled “Ethics in Articles” by Adrian Evans has appeared in the most recent edition of the Law Institute Journal (June 2006, p 77). It is a perceptive call for an ethical review of the articles system.
It seems ridiculous that firms can treat their articled clerks in ways which would certainly not be tolerated if a firm treated its client in that way. There is also a definite lack of consistency in the experience gained by articled clerks. The article also includes a suggestion that trainees should be able to report their mentors on a confidential basis.