The Gazette 1992

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1992

Law School Fees to Increase The Law School is into its thirteenth year. In that time we have run 29 professional courses and to date approximately 1,700 have come through the system and are practising as solicitors. This represents almost 50% of the practising profession. We have coped extremely well. The profession at large has been en- thusiastic in its support of the School. Without the full co-opera- tion of practitioners, the sytem simply could not function.

Examination system t o stay The exam system at Professional Course level has proven to be a success and will remain a feature of the school. The initial bulge has passed and we are delighted to be able to restore a more normal level of courses from 1992 onwards. This will ease the strain and improve operations at the school. Coun t i ng the cost The exam system, however, comes at a price. Papers must be set, sat, marked, assessed and reviewed. The numbers sitting these exams are always increasing because of repeat candidates. The heavy throughput of students in the recent past covered the increased cost. It is unfortunate that in self-financing operations such as this, any increase in costs must be borne by the students for it is they who will one day reap the rewards the school has to offer. The last fee increase took place three years ago. An increase now in all the school fees is inevitable.

In the next two years 700 new solicitors will enter the market place. This represents a growth in the profession of 8.3% per year and compares with our neighbouring jurisdictions as follows:-

Justin McKenna of the Law Society at its next meeting and a decision will be made. That decision will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas for adoption under a s t a t u t o ry i ns t r umen t. It will become e f f ec t i ve as of the operative date contained within it. It is hoped to introduce an incre- mental device so that fee increases will not come in fits and starts. A cautionary note A career in law still appears as an attractive proposition to school leavers. 420 candidates have applied for this year's first Irish examination. The Law Society has coped w i t h the bulge w i t h difficulty. One must question whether the profession or the marketplace can continue to absorb the numbers. •

England

8.1% 5.8% 5.7%

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Admi ss i ons policy a success When the Society introduced its new admissions policy in 1989 by allowing all university law gradu- ates to enter, the Law School had to gear up to meet the increased demand. This had two immediate consequences: 1. The number of courses was increased to cope with the initial bulge of students; 2. A formal examination system was put in place to ensure con- sistency of standards. Both these measures have placed a strain on the administration of the school. As a direct result, there is a bigger staff, more paper, more con- tributors.

Jus t in McKenna, Chairman, Education Committee

I will table a proposal to the Council

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