The Gazette 1995

GAZETTE

MARCH 1995

N E W S

Historic Development in Legal Professional Training in Ireland

"Innovative, exciting and historic" were just some of the very approving terms which have been used to welcome the news that The Law Society and the King's Inns have agreed that for the first time their respective students will enjoy the benefit of jointly taking a common course as part of their professional training. The course chosen for joint teaching is litigation. This initiative is the result of regular discussions over a lengthy period between representatives of the Education Committee of The Law Society and of the King's Inns. The Law Society representatives involved were Ken Murphy, Michael V. O 'Mahony and Pat O'Connor and the King's Inns was represented by Mrs. Justice Susan Denham and John Rogers S.C. It is intended to continue these meetings to further explore mutually beneficial co-operation between the two institu- tions in legal professional training. The joint course will consist of lectures and tutorials to be taken side by side by both students for the Bar and solicitors' apprentices. The teaching will probably be done half-and-half (or as close to this as is sensible and convenient) by exist- ing King's Inns lecturers/tutors and Law Society lecturers/tutors. The same educational materials will be used by all students. The decision to run a common litigation course was formally made with the adoption of identical policy papers at the highest decision-making level by both institutions. The policy paper was adopted on 10 February, 1995 by the Council of the Law Society and on 14 February, 1995 by the Council of the King's Inns. The precise form of the joint syllabus is yet to be finalised but it is a measure of the substantial nature of this joint

Pictured at the meeting in the Law Society, on 24 February are representatives from the Law Society and the King's Inns and Chairman Mr. Justice Ronan Keane. From left to right: Mr. John Rogers, S.C., King's Inns Representative; Mr. Ken Murphy, Chairman Education Committee, Law Society; Mr. Albert Power, Law School Principal, The Law Society, Mr. Justice Ronan Keane, Chairman of AC LET; Mrs. Justice Susan Denham, King's Inns Representative; Mr. Kevin Waldron, Director of Education, King's Inns and Mr. Pat O 'Connor, Law Society Education Committee.

over the last three years has been to examine the recommendation in the Fair Trade Commission Report of 1990 that a substantial measure of joint professional education of solicitors and barristers, would promote efficiency and higher standards in the public interest. Not ice - AGM of SBA NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the One Hundred and Thirty-First Annual General Meeting of the SOLICITORS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION will be held at the Law Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin, on Friday 7 April 1995 at 12 noon: 1. To consider the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 November 1994. 2. To elect Directors. 3. To deal with other matters appropriate to a General Meeting.

The course of lectures and tutorials in litigation will be in substitution for, rather than in addition to, existing courses taught by the two institutions. It is hoped to commence the joint course in the Autumn of 1995. Many substantial logistical problems will have to be overcome in this regard but they are being addressed at present. This is a pilot project. If it proves successful then the Law Society and the King's Inns will consider whether it would be of value to run joint courses in other subjects on a similar basis. A catalyst for this initiative has been the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Training ('ACLET')- which is a very broadly based committee representative of all parties interested in legal education and training in Ireland. It is chaired by Mr. Justice Ronan Keane. It was at a meeting of ACLET on 24 February, 1995 that the enthusiastic welcome, referred to at the first line above, was given to this initiative. One of the key objectives for ACLET

educational commitment that a course of over 50 teaching hours duration is being considered. 78

Geraldine Secretary

Pearse