The Gazette 1979

GAZETTE

SEPTEMBER 1979

A day in the life of Two Consultants, Six Tutors and Ninety-Seven New Apprentices Joseph B. Mannix

Date: Thursday, 15 November. Subject: Probate and Administration (Day 2). Objective: To be able to take instructions after death of Testator, to complete Inland Revenue Affidavit and all other papers and matters to lead to a grant of probate. Consultants: Eamonn Mongey, Probate Officer; Peter Quinlan, Solicitor. Tutors: Joan O'Mahony, Paul Foley, Emer Gilvarry, David McMahon, Fintan Clancy, Geraldine Pearse. A Quartz or Seiko is almost certainly required by anyone involved in the second Professional Course under the New Regulations. The morning breaks at 9.30 a.m. sharp and there is no room for argument, accident or absence by a mere minute. Christies of London, when they hold auctions, announce boldly to the world: "Auction begins at 11.00 a.m. precisely". The Pro- fessional Course begins at 9.30 a.m. precisely and that's that.

Peter Quinlan supervising a group of Apprentices at work.

The day's programme began with an introduc- tion by Eamonn Mongey and a demonstration, pre- recorded on closed circuit television, of the taking of instructions to extract a grant of probate. Then, the first exercise of the day (there were three in all) took place. These exercises, by way of explanation, are the best representation of the learning-by-doing philosophy behind the Professional Course. For the first one, apprentices paired off in twos, the one acting as solicitor, the other as client in an attempt to take, or give, instructions towards extracting a grant of probate. Each tutor — the student: tutor ratio strived at is 12:1 — after checking his or her particular group reported satisfactory results. Indeed, it is obvious without really pursuing it that all apprentices deeply appreciate this feature of the course. A "couple of star performers" were put in front of the camera and their effort was later relayed, with much amusement, on the closed circuit television. The level of imagination displayed and the trick questions and answers given brought delight to all. At 11 o'clock there was a twenty minute cofTee break after which the first exercise was reviewed. Then, the func- tion and filling out of the Inland Revenue Affidavit was explained and demonstrated. This was later to be put to its practical application in the second exercise but now, at fifteen minutes past mid-day, an adjournment for lunch was called. Time, ladies and gentlemen, time. After lunch, the second exercise was undertaken in the tutorial rooms. A surgical review was later carried out, back in the lecture hall. Again, reports from tutors were good. The over-all impression, shared by Consultants and Tutors alike, was, in respect to the intelligence and interest of the apprentices, that questions were lively and incisive and on a couple of occasions, went outside the scope of the subject.

At the top table from left to right: Eamon Mongey and Peter Quinlan, consultants for the Probate Course. It is not adulation to time-keepers that this is so. Punctual attendance is deemed important because the most and the best of a Consultant's tuition can only be acquired by being present. There is the further important aim of avoiding disruption of the training sessions and ensuring courtesy to the teaching teams. It was therefore found necessary to have a certain and definite starting- time and anybody who failed to make it by then suffered the consequences i.e. being locked out until the first break in the morning and being marked absent. This seems harsh in not taking into account ordinary features of life such as early morning traffic jams, the possibility of a puncture on bike or car, illness etc. and is not greeted with enthusiasm or endearment by apprentices in general. One apprentice - Northern Irish, in origin - praised the tight schedule for introducing and disciplining people to office hours.

212