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instance. Where special advice or service is needed
from an expert in a particular field, this is now
available with a wide choice from the Bar and
also at modest cost.
A united legal profession is no more practical
than a united medical profession for I do not
think that a lawyer can fill the role of barrister as
well as solicitor any more than a doctor can be
both a general practitioner and a surgeon. The
only way in which a united legal profession could
work is in large partnerships where general prac
titioners and specialists work together. This would
only have the effect of increasing the cost of legal
services and cutting oft
from all but wealthy
clientele the top experts.
There is nothing inherently wrong in having
more than one legal profession. After all, France
has three distinct legal branches—the avocats, the
avoues, and the notaires. The avocat is a barrister,
the avoue a restricted form of solicitor and the
notaire combines a judicial function with that of
a solicitor in conveyancing and probate practice.
In Quebec, while there is fusion of the barristers'
and solicitors' professions, the notaire still belongs
to a separate profession.
The only significant defect in our present system
of which I am aware is the multiplicity of our law
schools but fusion would only eliminate one of
them. If specific defects do in fact exist, it would
be more satisfactory to rectify these individually.
I am satisfied from my own experience that
the destruction of our present system and the
creation of one legal profession would create many
more difficulties than it could possibly cure.
G.A.L.
COMMISSIONERS OF CHARITABLE
DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS
BOARD MEETINGS
(Easter and Trinity Terms)
Tuesday, 26th April 1966
Tuesday, 10th May 1966
Tuesday, 24th May 1966
Tuesday, 14th June 1966
Tuesday, 28th June 1966
Tuesday, 12th July 1966
Tuesday, 26th July 1966
J. S. MARTIN
Secretary
WEEKEND SEMINAR IN MULLINGAR
A seminar weekend was held at The Greville
Arms Hotel, Mullingar, by the Society of Young
Solicitors in association and with the co-operation
of the General Council of Provincial Solicitors'
Association and the Midland Bar Association on
the 26th and 27th March. The attendance at the
seminar was so far in excess of the original esti
mate that all accommodation in Mullingar was
completely booked out, and some members atten
ding had to stay overnight as far away as Kinne-
gad and Longford.
This was the first convention of its kind ever to
be held in this country. There were four sessions,
and each session consisted of a lecture, after which
the members formed discussion groups of fifteen
to twenty members each, and these groups then
discussed
the lecture. After half an hour,
the
chairman of each discussion group was invited to
put up to three questions, selected by his group,
to the lecturer, who answered the queries raised
on his subject.
The first lecture, on the Saturday afternoon,
was given by Mr. A. J. O'Dwyer, Deputy Regis
trar of Title, on the subject of Registration of
Title. Mr. William McGuire, solicitor, delivered
his paper on the Succession Act, 1965, on the
Saturday night. On Sunday morning Mr. Vincent
Grogan, B.L., travelled from Dublin to deliver his
paper on the Finance Act, 1965, and on Sunday
afternoon Mr. Patrick Kilroy, M.A., gave his lec
ture on Companies and Finance Legislation.
The seminar could not have been a success
without
the
co-operation
of
each
of
the
lecturers,
who,
without
exception,
showed
that they had studied their subjects thoroughly,
and proved this by the very able manner in which
they coped with the series of questions at the end
of each session.
The brunt of organisation of the weekend was
borne by Tom Shaw, Secretary of the Midland
Bar Association, who dealt with hotel bookings
and on
the spot arrangements, and Norman
Spendlove, Treasurer of the S.Y.S., who must be
singled out for their mammoth work.
Socially, members took advantage of the oppor
tunity of meeting their brethren who came from
as far away as Donegal, Cork, Kerry, Glaway,
Waterford and Louth, and the Saturday night
session stretched far into the early hours of Sun
day morning. Despite this there was full attan-
dance at the Sunday morning session.
Another semina r will be held in Cork on the
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