The Gazette 1984

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INCORPORATED LAW SOCIETY OF IRELAND
GAZETTE
September 1984 Vol. 78 No. 7
In this issue . . .
Comment 183
Prospects for the young Solicitor in
Medico Legal Society 199
Flac 19
Crossword 199
Michaelmas Law Term Annual Services 200
Executive Editor: Mary Buckley
Editorial Board: William Earley, Chairman
John F. Buckley
Gary Byrne
Charles R. M. Meredith
Michael V. O'Mahony
Maxwell Sweeney
Advertising: Liam O hOisin, Telephone 305236
Printing: Turner's Printing Co. Ltd., Longford
The views expressed in this publication, save where
other-wise indicated, are the views of the contributors
and not necessarily the views of the Council of the
Society.
The appearance of an advertisement in this publication
does not necessarily indicate approval by the Society for
the product or service advertised.
ABC Membership has been approved pending first audit
for the period July to December 1984.
Published at Blackhall Place, Dublin 7.
Comme nt . . .
. . . Continuing Legal Education
MANDATORY Continuing Legal Education moves
closer to Ireland on the 1st August 1985 when the
new requirements of the Law Society of England and
Wales take effect. Every solicitor who is admitted in that
jurisdiction after that date will be required to attend
certain post admission courses during their first 3 years in
practice. Some of the courses, such as those in office
management and efficiency and professional conduct,
will be compulsory; others will be optional, a solicitor
being required to attend a certain number of courses from
a choice of 14 different topics.
An interesting feature of this development is that there
is a strong element of "topping up" involved. The new
proposals are seen as being complementary to the pre-
qualification training programme. It says much for the
sense of responsibility of the trainee solicitors that they
have apparently seen the proposals as a valuable or
necessary addition to their training rather than an
additional imposition. The new scheme does, however,
beg the important question of how Continuing Legal
Education can cope with the frequently perceived
problem of the once competent lawyer who has been
overtaken by the increasing complexity of our legal
system and the pressures of running a practice. It is those
in practice for 23, not 3, years who may be most in need.
No topic in the field of Legal Education has given rise
to more debate in recent years than Mandatory
Continuing Legal Education. A number of States in the
United States introduced it but the spread seems to have
halted at 13 States. Interestingly enough some of those
who are most vehemently opposed to its introduction
have been the educators. Far from seeing Mandatory
CLE as a golden opportunity for empire building they
have argued that the presence at courses of those who are
there only because they have to be there will seriously
dilute the educational value of the courses. There is no
doubt that in any courses of a workshop nature or which
otherwise require participation of the audience the
presence of people who are there unwillingly would be
counter-productive. Nonetheless there is a very real
dilemma to be faced. How is the person who rarely if ever
participates in any formal or informal Continuing Legal
Education but who may be the person most in need of
such further education to be persuaded of its necessity?
A further argument raised by those who are opposed to
Mandatory CLE is that they believe that Mandatory CLE
in specialised subjects is likely to lead to a demand by
those who have attended such courses to be entitled to
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