Brothers in Law

A FUND OF FUNNY LEGAL STORIES FROM THE FIFTIES WHICH IS TIMELESS

Described by Phillip Taylor MBE

This work remains an excellent introduction to the problems which many trainee barristers face today even though it is a very old book now covering a period when pupils paid for their pupillages and you could appear robed in court on day one. As to be expected with Henry Cecil, it is a series of his short story (probably mostly true) on the theme of pupillage in 1950s.

And, at the same time, the problems advocates face today are quite well covered in this funny set of legal stories which many in the legal profession did not take to initially all those years ago! We can view the situations with much more relaxed humour today as the class divide has been bridged to a certain extent.

Recent books on pupillage still recommend Henry Cecil's 'Brothers in Law' and I do advise students to watch the very funny film starring Ian Carmichael as a rather priggish Roger Thursby who has just been called to the Bar. Cecil was a County Court judge, His Honour Judge Leon.

The importance of this book is about the people that it portrays as the client problem and the judge problem still remains even though new technology has intervened. What comes out of the book is the type of character we come across as lawyers every day...and how they don't really change down the ages.

I watched the film again recently and had another look at the book which remains a firm favourite with me as a nostalgic trip back in time to a different age for the barrister. Do get it as it is still my friend in court, even now, and entertaining with that sparkle of truth which always runs through the law and its clients, even now!