The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

OCTOBER 1993

N E WIS Council Considers Admissions Policy

At a special one-day meeting on 23 ! September last, members of the Council of the Law Society held an in-depth discussion on current policy concerning admission to the vocational stage of training for admission to the profession, including the structure and content of the course and related education matters. The meeting had two motions before it for consideration. The first proposed by former President, Frank O 'Donnell, and seconded by former President, Donal Binchy, stated that "the Law Society, conscious of its obligations to the community in relation to ensuring the highest possible standards and quality of service by the solicitors' profession, and the necessity to provide competition within the solicitors' profession, and of its duties to its own members, take all possible steps necessary, as expeditiously as possible, to ensure that the members admitted to the Roll of Solicitors annually are commensurate with the needs of the community." An | amended motion was also before the council proposed by Pat O 'Connor, Chairman of the Education Committee and seconded by Brian Mahon, Chairman of the Education Advisory Committee, which would have committed the Council to endorsing the work done by the Education Committee I and accepting a number of recommend- ations on the Society's education and admissions policy which were set out in a statement of recommendations. A wide-ranging debate ensued in which the difficulties arising from the current admissions policy were identified. Concern was expressed that the profession was growing at an unsustainable rate and, if allowed to continue, the over-supply of solicitors i could lead to a lowering of standards, a development which would not be in the public interest. There was discussion of I whether an admissions policy could be i effected which would control numbers or, alternatively whether market forces should be left to determine the issue. It was noted that there were currently 1,948 students in university law i faculties of which approximately 65%

could be expected to seek admission to the Society's Law School. In addition, | the number sitting the FE-1 examination (the avenue of entry for non-law graduates) was also growing. The Council considered whether the Society could, or should, unilaterally I seek to limit numbers, some Council members believing that it was essential to do so in order to guarantee standards. Í Others expressed the view that it would | be difficult to convince the Government | and the public that a numerical j limitation was objectively justified and | in the public interest although some ! members believed that such a case i Í could be formulated. The Council was agreed that the Society should retain its statutory control over the education and

training of solicitors and of setting | standards as this was a hallmark of an independent profession. At the day-long meeting there were many different views put forward concerning future policy options and following the lengthy debate it was decided that the issues required further consideration. The President of the Society said that there was a need for further reflection; a paper would be ; prepared setting our clearly all the j options identified and assessing the | merits and demerits of each. He asked the proponents of the different views and options to submit papers for con- sideration at the October meeting of the Council when the Council would focus on the alternative options. • qualified solicitors for graduate recruit- ment posts, as well as legal vacancies. She will promote the employment of solicitors at European Community level and assist solicitors and apprentices with applications for Stages in European Community Institutions. She will also manage the Society's pre-apprenticeship register and employment register. | One of Hazel Boylan's first initiatives | was to organise a Law School stand at 1 the three-day Higher Options Conference staged in the RDS recently ! by the Irish Times and the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. Assisted by the Assistant Director of Education, Albert Power, Tutors Raphael King and Patricia Casey, on each of the three days respectively, she dealt with queries from many of the ten thousand second level students who attended. The Law School personnel explained the requirements to gain entry to the Society's Law School whether as an exempted law graduate, or via the Final Examination - First Part, and pointed out the difficulties in securing apprenticeships, the current waiting period for places in the Society's Law School and the limited oppor- tunities for newly-qualified solicitors in private practice. •

Ca r ee rs Adv i s er Appo i n t ed

Hazel Boylan

j Ms. Hazel Boylan has been appointed j Careers Adviser in the Society's Law School. Ms. Boylan, a psychologist with experience in career guidance and recruitment consultancy, will have a range of functions aimed at widening the employment opportunities for newly-qualified solicitors. She will also advise students at second level who are considering their career options of the difficulties in securing an apprenticeship ! and the limited employment opportun- ities available in private practice for newly-qualified solicitors. Ms. Boylan

will be liaising with employers to encourage them to consider newly-

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