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Appointment of Mr. P. J. Connolly
The Council of the Incorporated Law Society of
Ireland have appointed Mr. P. J. Connolly, A.C.A.,
Director, Finance and Services Division.
Mr. Connolly served articles with Briscoe, Smith &
Co., Chartered Accountants, Grafton St., Dublin. Since
qualifying as a Chartered Accountant he has had a
wide variety of experience with Price Waterhouse &
Co., Paris; Nitrigin Eireann Teoranta and other indus-
trial companies.
Since joining the Society's staff Mr. Connolly has
worked on a number of consultancy assignments on
solicitors practice in the U.K. Besides his normal
accountancy work it is envisaged that Mr. Connolly
will provide a consultancy service on a repayment basis
to members on request.
project and the contract with Messrs. G. & T. Cramp-
ton, Dublin, will be formally signed in the premises on
9th September. The opportunity will be used to explain
to the press and to the public generally, the Society's
aims in relation to the new educational arrangements
due to come into force on 1st October, 1975. It is
expected that the premises will receive its first graduate
students under the new arrangements in October, 1978.
E.E.C. Developments
In recent months the Society has been involved in
discussions with the Department of Justice, the Bar
Council and the European Commission on a draft direc-
tive on the right of lawyers to provide occasional ser-
vices in other Member States. Discussions have also
taken place with representatives of the Law Societies
in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the
topic. Arising out of these discussions, significant amend-
ments have been made in the original draft.
The legal profession in this country will act as host
to the half-yearly Meeting of the Commission Consul-
tative Des Barreaux de la Communaute Europeenne
which will be held in Dublin from 20th-22nd Novem-
ber, 1975.
Solicitors' Accounts
A determined effort is being made to have all Solici-
tors' Accountant's Certificates brought up to date.
Action has been taken in respect of all Accountant's
Certificates outstanding for the accounting year 1972
and earlier. Solicitors whose Certificates in respect of
the accounting year 1973 are still outstanding, will be
requested to take urgent action in the matter in the
near future.
Settling Accounts with Clients
"Solicitors take their time in settling accounts!"
That generalisation is a frequent criticism of the pro-
fession because of delays in accounting to clients for
funds received upon the completion of a transaction.
The public is becoming more conscious of the value
of money and the interest that may be lost because it is
in transit, or—worse still—is sitting in their solicitor's
office.
To avoid recurrence of the criticisms the following
accountancy procedure is suggested :
In any straightforward transaction a solicitor should
aim to account to his client the day after the transac-
tion is closed in respect of monies paid to him for that
client.
Where an unknown liability may exist the solicitor
should account to the client the day after the transac-
tion has been completed, but should point out to the
client that he must retain a sum which will more than
cover the unknown liability.
If, through the complexity of a particular case, it will
take some days for a solicitor to account to the client
after completion, as a matter of prudent public relations
and communication, he should inform the client of
this fact and give the client a reasonably accurate date
upon which he will render his account.
James J. Ivers,
Director
General
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