The Gazette 1949-1952

months.

Before presenting the Certificates the

Patrick J . ; Davitt, Cahir F. M .; Jones, Dermot F. —Special Certificate ; Kenefick, Michael; Loftus, Kevin Patrick; Lucas, Michael; McCormack, Patrick J. ; Margetson, Ernest J . ; Matthews, Des­ mond ; Murphy, Myles C .; O’Driscoll, Michael C. ; O’Driscoll, Michael K . ; O’Reilly, Thomas Finbar ; O’Mahony, Mary C. C.—ist place October, Overend Scholarship, Silver Medal; O’Toole, Timothy F. ; Pigot, David R. ; Rogers, Edward R. ; Taylor, Francis E. A .— ist place April, Special Certificate. The ceremony was attended by relatives and friends of the new Solicitors. A VISIT TO THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION Extract from Report o f the President A fter I had addressed the Annual General Meeting o f the State of New Jersey Bar Association in June last Mr. Cody Fowler, President of the American Bar Association, personally invited me to return to New York in September to address the American Bar Association. The Council agreed that, as President, I should accept the invitation. I travelled to America, with Mrs. Greene, on the lie de France arriving at New York on the 13 th September where I was greeted at the quayside by Mr. Garth Healy, Irish Consul General in New York. I stayed for the duration of the meeting in the Waldorf Astoria as the guest of the American Bar Association. As the forty-eight States of America, are in fact, separate States just as Ireland, England, France, each State has its own separate legal system, laws and judiciary. In addition, of course, over all there is the Federal system o f laws and each State has its own Federal Bench separate and apart from the State Bench. Each State and each County in the State has its own Bar Association. These facts are well known but I merely restate them because sometimes the full significance o f the separation of States is not readily appreciated until one sees it in operation. In some States every practising lawyer must be a member of the Bar Association and this they call an Integrated Bar. In other States this does not apply. By our standards a noteworthy point is that the judiciary take a very active part in the Bar Associations; attending, speaking, and voting with, the ordinary practitioners. Some judges are appointed by the Governor of the State, others are elected by popular vote for periods o f from 7 to 14 years. Most of the judges and great numbers of the practitioners take a very five and active 53

President said:—

L adies and G entlemen — This is a very important day in the lives o f many of the young ladies and gentlemen whom we are about to honour and congratulate to-day. Their days o f apprenticeship are over and to-day they take a step into a new world, they become Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Justice in Ireland and accept all the rights, duties and responsibilities that go with entry into such a distinguished profession. That the President o f this Society supported by the Council is here to-day to hand them their Parchment Certi­ ficates is evidence o f the fact that they will receive a warm welcome into the ranks o f the profession. Most o f you will find as you progress in your pro­ fession that the things o f real and abiding value are those which have stood the test o f time and the judgment o f men over the years. Never forget that you have entered a profession which is founded on traditions which have been handed down through the centuries. The outstanding tradition o f this pro­ fession is one o f service to our clients. A client’s interest must ever and always be put before one’s own personal interest as a Solicitor. I f ever you should find a conflict o f interest between the client’s and your own there is only one course open to you and that is the honourable one. The concept o f professional service is particularly important in our profession where clients trust us daily with their family secrets, their reputation, their money and frequently the decision o f a Solicitor in reference to his client’s affairs can make or mar the future and fortunes of large groups o f people. This is a noble and honourable profession and its future now lies in the hands o f you who are assembled here to-day. As times passes you will be confronted by prob­ lems both personal and on behalf of clients and find yourselves in situations which are undreamt o f here to-day. Every practising Solicitor has had to face them in greater or lesser degree. When that day comes, as come it will, if there is just one piece of advice which I could give you to remember always when you are in a difficulty it is : This above a ll; to thine own self be true ; And it must follow as the night the day Thou can’st not then be false to any man. Certificates were subsequently presented to the following :— Binchy, Donal G.—Silver Medal; Gallery, Mary A. B. M. I . ; Cawley, James—Silver Medal; Creagh,