The Gazette 1994

GAZETTE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1994

doing so he displays a certain grasp of the acronyms of the 90s. If we are to believe him, the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant); the PAC (Personal influence the manner in which work is done by us all and will facilitate the registration and protection of Trademarks. One interesting development in the years ahead may be the establishment of the Diploma in Trademarks in Law and Design as a pre-requisite qualification to anybody embarking on a career as a professional trademark representative. This will inevitably lead to the regularising and formalising of training for these professionals. Since this profession draws substantially from an existing legal pool it may well prove that today's school leavers with a flair for languages and a penchant for the law will see themselves as budding trademark agents forging a living in the 21 st Century. Activity Centre); and the GSM (Global Systems Mobile) will Compensation Fund Risk Control - The French CARPA Scheme (Continued from page 268) public. In addition, it has created employment, a not insignificant consideration in the current state of the economy. If the Law Society was to consider a similar scheme it would undoubtedly receive assistance from the principal officers of those involved in CARPA associations both in Paris and other cities and thus benefit from the thirty years of experience of the operation of the scheme in France. The author thanks Bátonnier Jean- Henri Farné and Maitre Jean-Pierre Duffour for their invaluable help in the preparation of this article. * Colm Mannin, Senior Counsel, Ainbus Industrie, Toulouse, France, is a member of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland. CI Justin McKenna CI

P r o f i l e o f t h e P r o f e s s i on There is now one practising solicitor per 887 members of the population in Ireland and over half of all solicitors practise on their own, according to the latest data compiled by the Law Society.

Membership Statistics

Number of solicitors on the Roll as at 30 June 1994 Number of solicitors holding practising certificates Number of newly-admitted solicitors (1 July 1993 - 30 June 1994) (Growth as a percentage of solicitors on roll)

5,436 3,969 304 7.6%

Size of Practices

The following is the most recent profile of practice units and practising solicitors available (as at 10 March 1994):-

Practice units

1,795 units, of which

(73.8%)

1,325 sole principals, of which

(55.3%) (18.5%)

993 sole principals (no assistants) 332 sole principals (with assistant(s))

(26.2%)

470 partnerships, of which

(17.1%) (9.1%)

307 2 partners 163 2+ partners

Practising solicitors

3,877 practising solicitors, of which

(34.2%) (24.2%) (34.2%) (7.4%)

1.325 sole principals 937 in partnership 1.326 assistants 289 employed solicitors (financial institutions etc.)

No recruitment statistics are available in relation to solicitors on the Roll who have not taken out practising certificates.

Ratio to Population/Labour Force

Practitioners per head of population (1991 census-3,523,401) Practitioners per members of labour force (1992 figures - 1,350,000) Practitioners per numbers employed (1992 figures - 1,125,000)

1 : 887

1 : 340

1 : 283

Barristers

•

The total number of barristers currently practising in Ireland is 892.

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