$1.$ Ethan has recently been fired from his job at a prestigious accountancy firm. His attempts to find another similar job have been unsuccessful so far, and he has discovered that his former employer is giving prospective employers a reference that describes Ethan as $$unreliable and unethical$.$ Ethan is now determined to sue his former employer for breach of contract and for defamation $($i$.$e$.$ the publication of an untrue statement about him that will damage his reputation$).$ Unfortunately, Ethan is not very wealthy $($particularly since he has lost his job$)$ and fears that he will not be able to afford to pay for a legal team to represent him in any legal action. He wonders if he might be eligible for civil legal aid and would like you to explain, in detail, the criteria applied in cases where a person is seeking to be awarded civil legal aid. Advise Ethan, making sure to tell him whether or not you think that he meets the criteria you have set out, and why.