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GAZETTE
JULY-AUGUST 1978
objectives for the particular exercise and identifying the
part of his case file that he is demonstrating; he then sets a
parallel exercise which the students proceed to do — in
their work-room — under the supervision of a tutor for
each group. Tutors will be solicitors with 2/3 years
practical experience since qualifyingl The Tutors will
assist the Consultants in the preparation of course
material, ensure discipline in the groups, advise those in
need of guidance, assess the performance of each student
and — in conjunction with revolving members of each
group — act as rapporteur in feeding back information to
and identifying problems for the consultants and the Law
School staff. Like the Consultants, the Tutors will devote
one to five days to each course but some may find
themselves able to go on for more than five days. Indeed,
it is hoped to recruit two tutors for a full year perhaps by
secondment from some of the larger offices. The emphasis
will be on "doing" by the students and subsequent
appraisal and correction by the Consultants and Tutors.
As Stuart Gullickson of the University of Wisconsin has
said "the lecture method — an appropriate method to
learn theory — cannot teach skills, for skills can only be
acquired through performance". The lecture will not
disappear as a vehicle of instruction because students
cannot approach areas of practice without some prior
knowledge of the legal theory in that area but the lecture
will run into the demonstration by the Consultant: much
stress will be placed on the students attention to advance
reading which will not, however, be diffuse. Before the
apprentice enters the Law School he will have completed
a Law Degree or alternatively will have completed the one
year course of instruction which will be provided in the six
core legal subjects of Property, Contract, Tort,
Constitutional Law, Company Law and Criminal Law.
The proficiency of each student will be tested in the first
part of the Final Examination so that the student will be
ready for the intensive half year's course and will at the
end of the course be able, for example, to effect the
purchase and sale of residential property, take
insturctions for the making of a will, draft and secure the
execution of the will, extract probate of the will and
administer the estate; he will be able to form limited
liability companies advise on tax matters, complete
income tax and capital tax forms, he will be able to bring
and defend actions in the Superior and Lower Courts in
criminal and civil matters, act for a sponse in a
matrimonial case, assist a worker who feels that he has
been unfairly dismissed, and act for a tenant seeking a
renewal of his tenancy. In short, all the things he will meet
in day to day practice in the first couple of years of his life
as a solicitor. This should make him a very useful member
of his masters office when he leaves the law school to
enter his period of eighteen months "in-office" training as
an apprentice. This new style apprenticeship involves
heightened obligations by master and apprentice. It is
likely that master as well as
apprenti9e
will be asked to
attend a preliminary interview, records of office
attendance and performance will be kept and the Society
will have a monitoring role. This uninterrupted eighteen
month period will afford the master an opportunity of
giving the apprentice the individual attention needed by a
trainee solicitor while the latter will quickly become a
productive unit in the office; it is essential that the
apprentice gain experience in all the areas of practice in
which the office engages — excessive specialisation or
streaming is inimical to the concept of apprenticeship.
The apprentice then returns to the Law School for a two
month advanced course; he will do the final examination
second part at the end of the professional course and the
final examination third part at the end of the advanced
course. Assuming he has passed the Second Irish
examination and completed his Indentures, the apprentice
is then ready to be admitted to the Roll of Solicitors.
The attention of practitioners and of intending
apprentices is drawn to the Society's publication "How to
become a Solicitor" the latest edition of which is being
posted to each practitioner and which may have been
received when this article appears and further copies of
which can be obtained on application to the Society.
SYS Correspondence on "Women and the Law"
(continued from page 120)
makes of the law an obsession to occupy all of his days
and his evenings must suffer in his development as a
human being. This will do nothing for his ability to relate
to his clients and to deal with their affairs. To encourage
your employees to believe that law is more important than
life is to promote cynicism and will not help them in
serving the interests of their clients.
The practice of law is a job and as an average female
Solicitor I am determined to do that job well, even should
I break a leg, have babies, get married or suffer from any
of the other ills the flesh is heir too. Don't tell me any man
could be expected to do more!
Yours faithfully,
A Female Solicitor.
SOCIETY OF YOUNG SOLICITORS
AUTUMN
SEMINAR
The Autumn Seminar is scheduled to take place in
Wexford on the weekend of 21st October. The topics
which have been selected are:
(1) Review of the Law of Damages for Breach of
Contract.
(2) Reservation of Title.
(3) Liability of Builders to Subsequent Purchasers.
(4) Part Performance of the Statute of Frauds.
Further details will be issued shortly.
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