The Gazette 1979

GAZETTE

JULY-AUGUST

1979

conscientious beginner and I have known one or two cases

in which improvement and increasing competence have

actually been stifled partly as a result of a fear of

appearing foolish with questions and partly as a result of

anticipating the "you're being paid good money to act

without plaguing me with problems" response.

There are some other smaller but none the less

irritating thorns in the sides of young Solicitors. For

instance it can be quite agitating never to see a client. I

think we all have a natural tendency and desire to a

greater or lesser extent to project one's own image and

Personality and to stamp one's mark on the

Solicitor client relationship. Interviewing can be difficult

and indeed for the inexperienced a time wasting

experience. Never the less it does not take long to learn

the essential information to be elicited in each case and

once the technique is mastered it is very satisfying

principally because of the personal contact and the

satisfaction gained out of seeing a case conceived, living,

and hopefully stone dead as quickly as possible. Another

difficulty is frequently encountered particularly, I think,

by younger lady assistants in rural offices and that is

what could be described as total non-acceptance on the

Part of clients who cannot accept that this "pretty slip of

a lass" is actually a Solicitor. The problem is certainly not

solved by the principal deflecting such clients to himself

and this indeed can be a major blow to the assistants

morale.

A possible criticism that could be made of younger

Solicitors in general is that for a couple of years after

qualifying they slip from office to office parasitically

draining the knowledge and experience of the professions

more senior members, ultimately for the purpose of

establishing practice in opposition to the very ones by

whom they were tutored. Some of you may have had the

frustrating experience of taking on a young Solicitor and

going to considerable trouble in showing him the ropes in

the office only to find that he had handed in his notice

within a year. The reasons for his handing in his notice so

quickly may be many and varied and indeed may stem

largely from the problems I have already discussed. In the

rather chaotic aftermath of such a desertion some

Solicitors will, not unreasonably, require their next assist-

ant to make a commitment to stay for a period of two or

fhree years, at least. There are still some firms, however,

which little or no value is placed in staff continuity at

any level and bearing this in mind I would like to con-

clude on a positive note by pointing out some of the steps

that can be taken to give young Solicitors a better deal

thereby inducing them to remain for a reasonable length

°r, indeed, permanently.

First, put him in a fair sized presentable room into

which he will not be ashamed to bring clients or

colleagues. Practical comfort with knee-deep pile carpeting

not necessary; simply provide a desk and some

drawers, a telephone and a dictaphone. Secondly, when

you have decided after some weeks of "probation" that

he has the potential to make a good Solicitor, pay him

decently. It is difficult to decide what is "decent" but £60

a week "take home pay" seems to me to be the minimum

cceptable starting wage in these expensive times. This

m a

y appear costly at first but it pays dividends later

Particularly if the assistant is given scope for the use of his

°wn initiative in improving his own level of efficiency and

that of the office as a whole. Thirdly, listen to his ideas in

connection with office administration. He may have

small suggestions to make which if implemented might

make your office more efficient in some way. At least

have an open mind. Finally, for the practitioner whose

work is in arrears and who needs some radical changes,

try and engage the services of an assistant who stands

some chance of making inroads into the backlog. This, of

course, is a real problem for Solicitors outside Dublin

who at best seem able to recruit people with only up to a

year's experience. And if you take on someone who is not

very experienced, then give him every assistance you can.

INDUSTRIAL CREDIT CORPORATION

SCHOLARSHIP

Mr. Frank Casey, Director and General Manager of the

Industrial Credit Corporation, presenting a cheque for

£1,000 to Professor Richard Woulfe, the I.C.C.'s

scholarship awarded to a student on the first Professional

Course in the Society's Law School. Pictured above are

from left, Mr. Frank Casey, I.C.C., Mr. Gerald Hickey,

President of the Society and Professor Richard Woulfe,

Director of Education.

R. W. RADLEY

M.Sc.

, C.Chem., M.R.I.C.

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