The Gazette 1940-44

THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TO THE STUDENTS BEFORE announcing the results of the Society's Examinations, held in October, 1943, the Presi dent addressed the apprentices and intending apprentices in the Hall of the Society as follows :— To-day it is my duty to announce to you the results of the recent Preliminary, Intermediate and Final Examinations., together with the results of the First and Second Examinations in Irish. As I pointed out on the last occasion, Universities have their ceremonies for conferring of degrees. The members of the Bar are called in Court by the Chief Justice, but in our depart ment of the Legal profession, there is no ceremony or formality on admission. Personally, I am a believer in some ceremony in which the President of the Society can formally welcome to the ranks of the Profession, those who have been successful in their Final Examination and that he can then give them words of encouragement and hope for their future careers. To-day I have again to congratulate all those who have been successful in the Preliminary Examination. To them and also to those appren tices who have not been under the obligation of presenting themselves for the Preliminary Exami nation but who are at the commencement of their apprenticeship, I desire, on behalf of the members of the Council of this Society, to wish them every success in their work and in their study, and to express the hope that they will realise that their future will depend on the manner in which they prepare themselves, during their years of ap prenticeship and legal training. They should be particularly careful to gain all the legal experience in practice that they possibly can, in whatever office they may be apprenticed ; and those who are apprenticed outside the city, should, when they are in Dublin for Lectures, be regular in their attendance in the Town Agent's Office and take advantage of all the extra training in the practice of work in the High Court, that they can possibly obtain. Perhaps it may seem rather strange to add that there should be introduced among our students a greater discipline and a greater desire to appreciate the necessities of the care and of the attention that they must give to their work when they are admitted to our Profession, and that they can f>nly obtain the necessary training for that care and attention by regular and punctual attendance, at the'lectures given them by the Society a.nd the exercise by them of restraint and discipline at these lectures.

Those who are attending lectures at the Uni versity should be most regular in their attendance and attentive to the subjects of the lectures. To all who have passed the Intermediate Examination I also extend hearty congratulations and I would urge those successful candidates, now that they have passed the first stage in their training, that'they should give greater attention to the work that they are doing in their offices and to the study of the subjects that are laid before them in the course for the Final. We feel that our apprentices should make every possible effort to equip themselves to the utmost both in their legal training and their practical work. Again, to the students who are entering on their apprenticeship and to those who have just passed their Intermediate Examination, may I recommend that everyone of them should become a Member of the Solicitors' Apprentices' Debating Society and benefit by the ample opportunities that the Society affords to its members to become experienced in public speaking and debates. They will also benefit by the social activities of the Society. From the membership of this Society, they will gain the self-confidence that they will require when they are qualified and when they must attend Court on behalf of the clients who will be theirs in the future. I would also urge upon them to endeavour to • acquire such an excellent knowledge of theory and of practice that our future examinations will disclose results far more excellent than any that have been won by brilliant students of the past. I am especially pleased to be able to announce medal awards in the Preliminary and Final Examinations, and the award of the Findlater Scholarship for the first time since J937. To those of you who are now waiting for the results of the Final Examination, and who have passed that examination, I desire to address a few brief words of congratulation and encourage ment. May I heartily congratulate all those who have passed their Final examination. May I wish to them, each and every one, a very brilliant career in the profession which they have chosen for their life work and may I hope that in the years that lie ahead, the students who leave this Hall to-day with the knowledge that they have passed their Final examination will be determined to carry 011 the traditions of many great members of our profession who'have gone before them. Let them realise that in their hands lies the future of this profession and in their hands and 30