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GAZETTE
MARCH 1988
Law Society Annual Conference,
Cork, 5 - 8 May, 1988
The Conference has come around
again. To a lot of our members, this
is not a statement wh i ch up to this
had made them reach for their
diaries and write in the dates of the
Conference as an event which they
must attend.
For one reason or another the
Annual Con f e r en ce has not
attracted the attention which it
should over the past number of
years. We now have almost 4 , 000
members of the Society. Should it
not be a feasible proposition to get
2 0 0 / 3 00 of these to come to the
Conference if not for the entire of
the event, then at least for some of
the lectures or social functions?
We have had recent experience
that when a controversial item
arises on the Agenda, the Society
memb e rs wa k en f r om t he ir
slumbers and become vociferous
and take great interest in the
subject. This was clearly evidenced
by the attendance at the Annual
General Meeting in November 1986
when the issues of Advertising and
Professional Indemnity were on the
Agenda.
This year the Public Relations
Comm i t t ee
i nv i t ed
Mess r s.
Loosemore and Parsons to visit
Ireland. As members will be aware
they gave a number of lectures
w h i c h c r ea t ed an e n o rmo us
amount of interest and indeed
e x c i t eme nt
amo n g st
t he
profession. In the course of these
lectures, they indicated the need
for change on the part of the
members in their approach to
practice as we near the 21st
century.
The Conference this year which
is being held in Jury's Hotel, Cork
from 5 t h - 8 t h May, is taking up the
same theme. As the highlight of the
programme, I am pleased to be able
to report that Mr. David Andrews of
the David Andrews Partnership
Limited who are Management and
Training Consultants to the Legal
Profession in London, has agreed to
address the Conference on Friday
morning on "Ma k i ng the Law
Office Wo r k ". In the afternoon he
will speak on "Practice Develop-
men t ". David Andrews will be
dealing w i th the practical problems
w h i c h f ace s o l i c i t o rs in t he
everyday working of their offices
with suggested changes which will
improve not only the management
of t he o f f i ce but also its
profitability. I hope in the next
edition of the Gazette that he will
be giving members an outline on
how he will be approaching his
subject (and how important he
views the topic).
On Saturday, the Half Yearly
Meeting will take place. At the
moment I have no notice of any
resolution. Assuming that none are
forthcoming it is proposed to hold
a workshop on "Litigation — The
Future". This is very topical in that
by now everybody is aware of the
changes which are proposed for
the abolition of juries. In the
workshop we hope to obtain views
not only f r om solicitors and
barristers working in Ireland as to
the practical realities which this will
bring to our profession, but also to
ob t a in v i ews f r om
v i s i t i ng
Presidents as to how the litigation
scenario has changed in their
country and where they see the
trends for the future.
This will cover such areas as
c o n t i n g e n cy
fees,
l i t i ga t i on
procedures and how the courts will
tackle the changes which are
undoubtedly coming. For anybody
i n t e r es t ed in l i t i ga t i on t h is
discussion is a
MUST
for your diary.
Enclosed w i th this Gazette you
will find the proposed Conference
programme. You will see that there
are numerous alternative social
events which you and your spouse
can enjoy.
The cost of the Conference has
sometimes been criticised. This
year there is a special inclusive
price of £140 per person covering
three nights and t wo days in Jury's
Hotel, Cork, w i t h all meals
included. This is less than the price
for last year's Conference. The
facilities at Jury's Hotel include a
heated indoor/outdoor swimming
pool wi th whirlpool, saunas, a
gymnasium and squash court. In
add i t i on
t h r o u gh
t he
kind
sponsorship of the Bank of Ireland
any member who is less than ten
years admitted to practice will have
half the cost of his wife's inclusive
price subsidised by the Bank. This
is a unique and generous offer by
the Bank to aid the younger
members of the profession.
I am therefore making a direct
appeal to the members for support
for the Conference. As I have said
before it is your Society, and your
profession and your Conference.
Not only do I suggest that you
should support it, I am saying very
strongly that you must support it.
I address this recommendation
particularly to our members from
Munster.
I am confident that w i th the help
and support of the organisers, this
will be not only a most enjoyable
weekend but a weekend when you
can learn in a way which will
beneficially improve your practice
and yourself.
I look forward to meeting you
personally in Cork.
Thomas D. Shaw
President
Jury's Hotel, Cork
39