Whatever one’s opinion of Tony Blair – and, granted, his name elicits robust reactions – the European legal profession can perhaps take some pride in the fact that one of their own could assume the historic position as the first president of the European Union.

And there is some irony in the fact that his prospects depend on several million voters in the Republic of Ireland, bearing in mind one of the early highlights of his tenure as UK Prime Minister was the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that saw the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly. If the Irish south of the boarder approve the Lisbon Treaty at the second time of asking, then it is suggested that provisions for the creation of a presidential post could be accelerated. Mr Blair – who was PM for a decade from 1997 – is understood to have wide spread support among Europe’s most influential leaders, meaning he could slip into a virginal presidential office within weeks.

However, the Poles and Czechs could throw a spanner in the works, as their leaders still technically have to sign the treaty. Nontheless, much to Mr Blair’s undoubted joy, the qualified English barrister looks to be odds-on for the job.

Is that good news for Europe’s lawyers? The response lies in a brief analysis of how friendly his Labour government was to the domestic legal profession. And the answer to that point depends on which sector is being discussed.

Practitioners at leading commercial law firms will have had little to complain about in relation to Mr Blair’s approach. His government adopted a restrained stance towards financial regulation that allowed the City of London to boom and business lawyers to expand dramatically on the back of the deals done. Specific legislation aimed at the legal profession also created greater liberalisation – barristers and solicitors will soon be allowed to form partnerships and law firms are to be free to seek outside investment.

However, smaller law firms will have a different impression of the Blair years. They see little more than an era blighted by the rise of claims management companies that drove down fees in personal injury cases and a programme of cuts to the legal aid budget that have slashed eligibility levels. International law specialists also suggest that the Blair government played fast and loose with the legalities of going to war in Iraq.

Ultimately, Tony Blair is a consummate pragmatist – as British lawyers will be well aware and Europe’s lawyers might soon discover.