The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

N E WIS

Council Considers Admissions Policy

OCTOBER 1993

At a special one-day meeting on 23

! September last, members of the Council

of the Law Society held an in-depth

discussion on current policy concerning

admission to the vocational stage of

training for admission to the profession,

including the structure and content of the

course and related education matters.

The meeting had two motions before it

for consideration. The first proposed by

former President,

Frank O 'Donnell,

and

seconded by former President,

Donal

Binchy,

stated that "the Law Society,

conscious of its obligations to the

community in relation to ensuring the

highest possible standards and quality

of service by the solicitors' profession,

and the necessity to provide competition

within the solicitors' profession, and of

its duties to its own members, take all

possible steps necessary, as

expeditiously as possible, to ensure that

the members admitted to the Roll of

Solicitors annually are commensurate

with the needs of the community." An

| amended motion was also before the

council proposed by

Pat O 'Connor,

Chairman of the Education Committee

and seconded by

Brian Mahon,

Chairman of the Education Advisory

Committee, which would have

committed the Council to endorsing the

work done by the Education Committee

I and accepting a number of recommend-

ations on the Society's education and

admissions policy which were set out in

a statement of recommendations.

A wide-ranging debate ensued in which

the difficulties arising from the current

admissions policy were identified.

Concern was expressed that the

profession was growing at an

unsustainable rate and, if allowed to

continue, the over-supply of solicitors

i could lead to a lowering of standards, a

development which would not be in the

public interest. There was discussion of

I whether an admissions policy could be

effected which would control numbers

or, alternatively whether market forces

should be left to determine the issue. It

was noted that there were currently

1,948 students in university law

faculties of which approximately 65%

could be expected to seek admission to

the Society's Law School. In addition,

the number sitting the FE-1 examination

(the avenue of entry for non-law

graduates) was also growing.

The Council considered whether the

Society could, or should, unilaterally

I seek to limit numbers, some Council

members believing that it was essential

to do so in order to guarantee standards.

Í Others expressed the view that it would

| be difficult to convince the Government |

and the public that a numerical

limitation was objectively justified and

in the public interest although some

! members believed that such a case

Í could be formulated. The Council was

agreed that the Society should retain its

statutory control over the education and

Hazel Boylan

Ms. Hazel Boylan

has been appointed

j Careers Adviser in the Society's Law

School. Ms. Boylan, a psychologist with

experience in career guidance and

recruitment consultancy, will have a

range of functions aimed at widening

the employment opportunities for

newly-qualified solicitors. She will also

advise students at second level who are

considering their career options of the

difficulties in securing an apprenticeship

! and the limited employment opportun-

ities available in private practice for

newly-qualified solicitors. Ms. Boylan

will be liaising with employers to

encourage them to consider newly-

training of solicitors and of setting

| standards as this was a hallmark of an

independent profession.

At the day-long meeting there were

many different views put forward

concerning future policy options and

following the lengthy debate it was

decided that the issues required further

consideration. The President of the

Society said that there was a need for

further reflection; a paper would be

; prepared setting our clearly all the

options identified and assessing the

| merits and demerits of each. He asked

the proponents of the different views

and options to submit papers for con-

sideration at the October meeting of the

Council when the Council would focus

on the alternative options.

•

qualified solicitors for graduate recruit-

ment posts, as well as legal vacancies.

She will promote the employment of

solicitors at European Community level

and assist solicitors and apprentices with

applications for Stages in European

Community Institutions. She will also

manage the Society's pre-apprenticeship

| One of Hazel Boylan's first initiatives

| was to organise a Law School stand at

the three-day Higher Options

Conference staged in the RDS recently

! by the

Irish Times

and the Institute of

Guidance Counsellors. Assisted by the

Assistant Director of Education,

Albert

Power,

Tutors

Raphael King

and

Patricia Casey,

on each of the three days

respectively, she dealt with queries from

many of the ten thousand second level

students who attended. The Law School

personnel explained the requirements to

gain entry to the Society's Law School

whether as an exempted law graduate, or

via the Final Examination - First Part,

and pointed out the difficulties in

securing apprenticeships, the current

waiting period for places in the Society's

Law School and the limited oppor-

tunities for newly-qualified solicitors in

private practice.

•

Ca r ee rs Adv i s er Appo i n t ed

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