Careers in Law

Careers in Law

Students who intend to seek entry to the legal professions must inform themselves of the current requirements of the professional bodies.  Please bear in mind that these requirements may change from year to year and with short notice.

If you want to be a solicitor you must sit the professional exams of the Incorporated Law Society, and complete an apprenticeship in a law firm. More information on this is available at http://www.lawsociety.ie. If you want to be a barrister you must sit professional exams and complete a 1 year degree course at King’s Inns. You must also undertake an apprenticeship for a period of 1 or 2 years with a more experienced barrister. More information on this is available at http://www.kingsinns.ie and http://www.lawlibrary.ie.

The Honorable Society of King's Inns (Barristers)

A person who wishes to gain direct admission to the Barrister-at-Law (BL) degree at the King's Inns must pass an examination in 11 subjects. However, an applicant is exempted from sitting an examination in six of those subjects if he or she has already passed them in a university examination. The exempted subjects are as follows:

1. Land Law (including the Law of Succession)
2. Equity & Trusts
3. Jurisprudence
4. Company Law
5. Law of the European Union
6. Administrative Law (Administrative Law 1)

However, every applicant for admission to the BL programme must sit and pass the King's Inns entrance examination in the following five subjects:

1. Contract Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Irish Constitutional law
4. Law of Torts
5. Law of Evidence

Please note that Administrative Law 1 is sufficient to meet the requirements for Administrative Law; Equity 1 & Equity 2 are required to meet the Equity & Trusts and Land Law 1 & Land Law 2 are required to meet the requirements for Land Law (including the Law of Succession).
 
Students interested in becoming barristers should inform themselves of the requirements of the Honourable Society of King’s Inns by communicating with the Registrar, Marcella Higgins, Henrietta Street, Dublin 1 or by visiting https://www.kingsinns.ie

The Incorporated Law Society of Ireland (Solicitors)

The Final Examination - First Part (FE-1) is the entrance examination to the Law Society of Ireland. The entrance exams consists of the following eight papers:

• Company Law
• Constitutional Law
• Law of Contract
• Criminal Law
• European Union Law
• Equity
• Real Property
• Law of Tort

Practising Law in the UK

If you want to work as a solicitor or barrister in Northern Ireland or England and Wales, you must complete professional training and exams there, as there may be specific entrance requirements. Information for Northern Ireland is available at http://www.lawsoc-ni.org/, for solicitors and at http://www.barlibrary.com/ for barristers. Information for England and Wales is available at http://www.lawsociety.org.uk, for prospective solicitors and at http://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/ for barristers.