Over 90 per cent of these graduates adorn the advocate’s garb and start learning on the job, often as an apprentice with a relative or acquaintance. Often, merit is irrelevant and given a certain level of brazenness, he finds himself a suitable guinea pig. To many, this may come as no surprise, having seen lawyers breach their ethical code daily in soliciting briefs, arguing cases in press conferences and taking contingency fees. While there are advocates who are honest, the gulf between the few successful ones and the multitude who struggle to make ends meet is so wide that for many of the latter, the shortest route to survival is a justifiable one. Particularly vile is the elephant in the room: a breed of lawyers who exploit public cynicism of the judiciary to promise judgements for a fee, thereby manipulating a susceptible, stupid, desperate client.