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Presentation of Parchments—December 1975
The President, Mr. W. A. Osborne, presided when 56
recently qualified solicitors received their Certificates of
Admission in the Library of Solicitors' Buildings, Four
Courts, Dublin, on Thursday, December 4, at 4 p.m.
The President, in addressing the new Solicitors said:
I have great pleasure this evening on behalf of our
Society of extending a very sincere welcome to our
many distinguished guests, many of whom are now the
proud parents or friends of a recently qualified Solicitor.
On your behalf and on behalf of our Society, may I
congratulate them on their success and extend to them
every good wish for their future success and prosperity.
It is a happy day and being so, I am rather reluc-
tant to trespass on your time. Nonetheless I ask for your
indulgence for a few moments, since I believe there
are some matters worth reflecting on.
Defective educational system
We have found in recent years that there has been a
very substantial increase in the number of students wish-
ing to study law. Our present law student population is
in the region of 1,300 students. The number of Solicitors
in practice five years ago was in the region of 1,500, but
this number has been increasing rather rapidly and is
now reaching 1,700 and will increase substantially when
the students, who are presently passing through qualify
in the next few years. While we can accommodate in
the profession the increasing numbers at present, I feel
it is only fair to warn parents and students coming in
in future years, that it may not be possible to find room
for all the students who may wish to qualify in the next
four to six years. I hope I am incorrect, but meanwhile
our Society is doing all it can to create greater
expertise within the profession and by doing so, to en-
large the scope of our work. We are very conscious of
the ever increasing need for the profession to give and
to aim to give to the Community the quality and type
of service which the Community seeks and is entitled
to receive. This requires specialised training and ex-
pertise. In that respect, our educational system has
changed with the help and co-operation of the Univer-
sities, who have been most helpful to us. There has not
however been any fundamental change in the system
which leads to entry by students into higher education
generally. We are only too well aware of the points
system, which in effect is a competitive one, whereby
students are obliged to cram, to grind and to use every
means available to them to consume facts, figures, data
and information in an effort to pass examinations in
the top 10, 15 or 20, as the case may be. Any parent or
onlooker must be horrified and frightened by this
system and the pressure which it exerts on young people,
many of whom may not have reached full maturity.
And what of the end result? Are we simply creating
human computers—the best fed and programmed win-
ning through. Does this system provide the best end
result? What of the students who fail to gain admission
under this system and who may have all the attributes
essential to the true and proper performance of the
particular discipline in due course. Does the system in
fact deprive suitable students of opportunities to qualify
for a way of life for which they may be eminently
suited. Does it amount to a serious and objectionable
form of discrimination and will we as a result, create
misplaced persons. I believe these questions need to be
considered and answered. It is not the fault of the
Universities or of the schools of higher education. All
they can do is allocate places in order of merit in
accordance with the applications they receive. Basic
educational standards are essential, but equally essen-
tial is some method, whereby the suitability of a can-
didate for a particular training can be assessed, be it a
training in University or otherwise. Career guidance in
itself is helpful, but insufficient in its intensity. Assess-
ment should commence at an early age and should be
continuous and might possibly end with an interview by
a suitable Board, representing the University or School
of Higher Education and a member or members already
qualified in the particular discipline, training, art,
faculty or profession in which the student wishes to
study.
Newly qualified solicitors should not practise on their
own
Now that you are about to commence practice there
are a few points which may be helpful to you in these
changing times. In England, there is at present a Statu-
tory Regulation which prohibits a newly qualified Soli-
citor from practising on his own for a period of five
years from date of qualification. We can all see the
merit of this ruling and while we have not a similar
statutory ruling here which can be invoked, I would
nonetheless suggest that you comply with the rule,
which in turn I have no doubt will fit you more fully
for practice in due course. Experience in a well organ-
ised office is the best basis upon which to practice your
profession. In this respect, I would ask you not to forget
that we have down through the country very efficient
offices. They are not all necessarily in the City of
Dublin and country experience, even for a few years,
is most beneficial, having regard to the wide range of
general practice which one encounters. I understand
also that salaries in the country may well be in excess
of which are available in the cities.
Communication with clients essential
As I have already said, the main objective of our
profession is and must be to provide the best possible
service to the public and where necessary, to inform
the public of the availability of such service. This can
only be achieved by efficient communication of ideas,
principles, knowledge, skills and information, both in-
side and outside the profession. The main communica-
tion outside the profession is with clients and the Society
recently approved of, in general communication with
our clients, on specific items. The new legislation in
relation to fiscal matters is of the utmost importance
to our clients and they should be informed of the
general effect of the changes which have been made.
Communication with clients in the carrying out of
specific transactions is of the utmost importance, not
only to the Solicitor himself, but also to the profession
as a whole. The Solicitor's ability to unravel with
efficiency and courtesy the problems of a client will
make that client an effective spokesman for the pro-
fession. The commonest complaint by clients is that
they do not know what is happening. To us there is