I recently came across this gem from Hoffman’s Costs Cases – A Civil Guide (3rd Edition) where he writes about law costs draftsmen:

“One hopes that they are now of more assistance to the court that those experienced last century by Chitty J. in which he recognised the practice of solicitors’ clerks being heard in chambers on behalf of their principles but went on to state in Re Bethlehem and Bridewell Hospitals (1885) 30 CH.D 542:

“Vey often neither counsel nor solicitors attend on the summons, but gentlemen come before me, subordinate clerks, who are not very competent to transact the business, and after a question or two as to the matters entrusted to them are found to be perfectly at sea, without rudder or compass.””

Thank goodness those days are over.