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GAZETTE.
SEPTEMBER 1989
FROM THE PRESIDENT c
The admission of much greater
numbers will mean that we must
immediately increase the capacity
of our Law School as the existing
facilities accommodate only some
150 students per annum. We en-
visage that this figure may double
within two years. Not only will
these changes have major implica-
tions for the system of training but
they will also involve a commitment
by the profession to accept a much
greater number of apprentices than
it has in the past. It is my
experience that the bigger offices
are taking on more, and more
apprentices as the years go by.
They apprecitate that the best way
of obtaining good solicitprs is to
grow them inside their own offices.
I would urge country and smaller
practitioners to take the same view
and to grow their own future
associates and assistants.
It is important for students to
realise that in addition to passing or
td. from page 308.
securing exemption from the en-
trance examination, they must also
pass the First Irish Examination,
become apprenticed and spend
some time in a solicitor's office,
before they can enter the Law
School.
I want to pay tribute and issue
more than a word of thanks to the
consultants and tutors in our Law
School. They have borne the heat
in the kitchen over many years and
I hope will continue to do so
despite the inevitable increase in
the number of courses. I would
have wished to have involved them
in the steps taken before the new
direction was taken but I am sure
they understand that this was not
possible. Our examiners t oo
deserve our best thanks. They have
carried out their duties in a pro-
fessional manner, exercising their
independent function in all respects
as it should be exercised.
In the Law Society, we are all
very excited w i t h this new
development. In effect we have
decided that it is not for us to
determine or concern ourselves
with the question of employment
for solicitors after they have
qualified. If someone decides to
become a solicitor and achieves the
necessary standards, then it is not
the responsibility of the Law
Society to ensure that there are job
opportunities for such people when
they qualify. However, having said
that, I do hope that between the
opportunities available here, in the
U.K. and further afield in the Single
Market not only in private practice
but in Industry and in other fields,
the products of our system, all of
whom will be well trained, will be
able to find satisfactory positions
properly remunerated.
We look forward to the challenge
of the 90s and of the 21st Century.
MAURICE R. CURRAN.
In defence of the Law Society's
examiners
The following is the text of a letter to the Editor of the Sunday Tfibune from Maurice R. Curran, President
of the Law Society. The letter was printed in the Sunday THbune of 24th September, 1989.
SIR — In the
Sunday Tribune
of 10
September, an article appeared in
which I was quoted as saying:
"There is no hidden agenda. We
have wiped the slate clean. We
have abandoned the use of the
exam as a control mechanism. Our
second exam will have to change
because we are to make our course
shorter to get more students
through. If the course is shorter, it
will be more exam orientated."
Since some 80% of those
entering the Society's Law School
will no longer be subject to its
entrance examination obviously the
control of entry to the school
effectively shifts to the universities
which produce the law graduates.
When I was speaking of the exam-
ination, therefore, I was speaking of
future control of entry to the Law
School and it was in this context that
the Society was 'abandoning control'.
The public are now aware of the
changes made by the Society
earlier this month in the require-
ments to enter its Law School and
these have been generally wel-
comed. They benefit both law
graduates and candidates other
than law graduates. It is clear,
however, that a campaign, deliber-
ately orchestrated, is afoot to
discredit the Society's Entrance
Examination. The Society is fully
satisfied with the integrity of the
examination. The preparation of
each examination paper and the
marking of the scripts are con-
ducted under the supervision of
external examiners all of whom are
distinguished academics drawn
from universities in the Republic.
The scripts of all candidates even
remotely approaching the margins
of a pass/fail or a compensation
level are checked by the external
examiners. This ensures that any
initial unevenness among internal
examiners is picked up in good
time.
The suggestion that the exam-
iners received instructions from the
Society to 'stiffen the examination'
is as absurd as it is untrue. To
suggest otherwise is an insult to
committed practitioners and to
distinguished academic lawyers
of unquestionable probity and
standing.
The Society has at all times been
concerned and will continue to be
concerned with the maintenance of
the highest levels of professional
competence among solicitors.
Maurice R. Curran,
President,
Incorporated Law
Society of Ireland,
Blackhall Place,
Dublin 7.
311