Anyone happy with the status quo in the legal profession is likely to be converted to the case for change by listening to its complacent spokesmen. Leading lawyers have welcomed the spirit but criticised the letter of the government's radical proposals for reform. They must be careful that their stubbornness does not become a persuasive argument in favour of the reforms.

Almost three years ago, the government first coined the phrase "Tesco Law" and asked Sir David Clementi to explore how competition could be promoted. The idea was that lawyers could be employed by high-street names, work together with non-lawyers, or set up joint-service firms. The Financial Times praised the idea and dismissed the predictable chorus of protest. We also identified two areas for close attention: industry regulation and rules governing conflicts of interest.