comprehensive careers advice and jobs …...law comprehensive careers advice and jobs for the legal...

LawCOMPREHENSIVE CAREERS ADVICE AND JOBS FOR THE LEGAL SECTOR

2019Edition

• opportunities in Ireland, north and south • includes further study advice, as well as

barristers and solicitors careers• useful contacts • graduate profiles • the inside track on getting into law

gradireland Law 2019

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gradireland Law is published by the Association of HigherEducation Careers Services and GTI Media Ltd (Ireland).

We would like to thank all third level careers services inIreland and Northern Ireland and our publishing partnersthe Association of Higher Education Careers Services fortheir help with this publication.

Editor Ruairi KavanaghDesign Maya LittleCommercial director Gavan O’BrienAdvertising Gavan O’Brien, Davey Farrell, LouiseKeegan, Kiah Townsend, the GTI Media sales teamProduction Chris Davies, Jane AndersonPublisher Mark MitchellMarketing Fiona Doherty Events manager Aisling ní MhuiríEvents coordinator Alison ReddyProduction director Jane Anderson

GTI Ireland, 14–16 Lord Edward Street, Dublin D02 YC63, IrelandTel +353 (0)1 645 1500 Email [email protected] Web groupgti.comPrinter Stephens & George, Merthyr Tydfil, UKISBN 978 1 912625 01 7 ISSN 2009-1583

© September 2018 Association of Higher EducationCareers Services and GTI Media Ltd (Ireland). All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced byany means including, but not limited to, photocopying orstored in a retrieval system in any form without priorwritten consent of the Association of Higher EducationCareers Services. This is subject to the single exception ofphotocopying by the Association of Higher EducationCareers Service member institutions. All items so usedshould be fully acknowledged. The views expressed inarticles are those of the author and their publication doesnot necessarily imply that such views are shared by theAssociation of Higher Education Careers Services and GTI.Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of thispublication, the author and publishers cannot acceptresponsibility for any inaccuracies, or for consequentialloss arising from such inaccuracies, or for any other loss,direct or consequential, arising in connection withinformation in this publication.


Your career in law2 Introducing your legal career

4 Law graduates are in demand

Areas of work6 Areas of work: solicitors

8 Areas of work: barristers

10 Employment and volunteeringopportunities

11 Alternative careers

12 A career as a company secretary

Top employers13 Top employers in law

People at work14 My legal career

Entry and training16 Entry and training

17 Entry and training: barristers

20 Entry and training: solicitors

23 The legal sector and diversity

Titles in this series

• Arts,Humanities &Social Sciences*

• Construction*• Engineering• Finance• Hospitality &

Tourism*• Journalism &

Media*• Law

• Languages*• Property*• Psychology*• Retail*• Science*• Social Work*• Teaching &

Education*• Technology• Work Experience

& Time Out*

* Available as downloads only fromgradireland.com/publications

Employers26, IBC A&L Goodbody

30, OBCArthur Cox

IFC, 28 EY

31 PwC

32 William Fry

IBC = inside back cover IFC = inside front coverOBC = ouside back cover


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Introducing your legal careerA career in lawLaw is a dynamic and stimulatingprofession with a varied range ofcareer possibilities. After all, thelaw influences every aspect of ourlives: business, finance, property,family and employment.

While law is one of the mostexciting career fields to be part of,it can be competitive: law degreesand follow-on professionalqualification routes require highacademic standards in order tosecure a place. But for thoseinterested in pursuing this career,the rewards are many if you enjoychallenges and are prepared towork hard.

The legal profession is dividedinto two professional practiceareas: solicitor and barrister. Thereare also many opportunities forlaw graduates who do not wish topractise, as a law degree is wellregarded by non-legal employers.

An international careerOnce someone has obtained their legal qualification, itis possible for them to work in another jurisdiction. Theeasiest countries to do this are ones with similar legalsystems, such as Great Britain, Australia, New Zealandand Canada. Some graduates opt to gain theirprofessional practice in the US, through either the NewYork or California Bar Associations. They will then bequalified to practice in the state where they gained theirexperience. After a year of practising, they will also beeligible to practise in Ireland, provided they obtain aCertificate of Eligibility and sit the Qualified LawyersTransfer Scheme. The EU Legal Services Directives allowlegal practitioners qualified in one jurisdiction topractise in another EU state. Under one of the directives,lawyers can gain access to the local legal profession ofan EU member country after three years’ post-qualification practice experience. They will need toapply to have their qualifications recognised in anothermember state; most member states also have aptitudetests to allow for the mobility of lawyers. There are alsoopportunities for law graduates to work within one ofthe EU institutions, although proficiency in at least asecond EU working language is a must. Law graduateswithout a practice qualification can apply through EPSO,the European Personnel Selection Office, for jobs in oneof the EU institutions in areas such as administration,management, law, finance and economics. There arealso opportunities for qualified legal practitioners withtwo to three years’ post-qualifying experience.


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Legal careers in Northern IrelandThe legal profession in Northern Ireland is divided intotwo distinct branches, the Bar (which comprisesbarristers) and the Law Society of Northern Ireland(which comprises solicitors). There are currently over454 Barristers registered in the Barrister Directory ofthe Bar of Northern Ireland and more than 2,300(currently available figures) solicitors currentlypractising.

Most solicitors will work in small to medium-sizedprivate firms. There are approximately 550 firms ofsolicitors located across Northern Ireland, the majorityof which provide general legal advice across all areas.Most opportunities arise in small practices: almost 50per cent of firms are single partner and less than 30 percent of solicitors work in firms of five partners or more.Belfast has the largest number of firms of all sizes. Largepractices comprising several specialised departmentsare few in number but are on the increase as thedemand for corporate legal services grows.

In the last few years, there has been significantgrowth in the number of solicitors’ firms in NorthernIreland. The number of practising barristers hasdoubled in the last 15 years.

Legal careers in theRepublic of IrelandThere are currently 17,604solicitors in the ROI, from latestfigures from The Law Society ofIreland. Over 1,200 solicitors(according to latest data)transferred their practisinglicence from the UK to Irelandsince the Brexit referendum ofJune 2016. There are also 2,300(currently available figures)practising barristers in ROI. Thenumbers qualifying as solicitorsand barristers in the Republic ofIreland have undergone asignificant increase in recentyears. Despite recent economicsetbacks the legal professionremains strong, and thecontinued development of anincreasingly complex economymeans the legal system isevolving to meet its needs. Newspecialist areas of law areemerging: intellectual propertylaw is developing in response tothe massive investment inresearch and development inscience and technology, whilecontinued breakthroughs inmedicine and health havecreated a need for legal expertisein bioethics. Other growth areasinclude immigration law andhuman rights, EU law, family lawand environmental law. The Irish-Language Bill 2007 has led to theestablishment of a register ofIrish-speaking legal practitionersin Ireland. There are increasedand significant opportunities forcompetent bilingual graduatesacross a wide range ofprofessional services in Ireland.

What if I don’t have a law degree?It is also possible for graduates from non-lawdisciplines to successfully pursue a professionalpractice qualification as a solicitor or barrister – seepage 16 for some other ways to enter the profession.

Graduates without a law degree can work inadministrative roles in legal practices as legalexecutives (legal professionals who usually specialisein a specific area of law), paralegals (qualifiedindividuals who assist lawyers in their work) andclerical, administrative or executive officers. In theRepublic, these positions are relatively rare due to theamount of law graduates and recently qualifiedsolicitors. In Northern Ireland several large firms haveopened legal services divisions where there are moreparalegal oriented roles. There are similar jobsavailable in the public sector, with the main employersincluding the Attorney General’s Office, the Office ofthe Director of Public Prosecution and the Departmentof Justice & Equality.


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Law graduates are in demandThe legal sector is currently experiencing a significant recruitment upturn, with speciality legal services very much in demand.

The past 18 months has seen acontinuous improvement inthe market for newcomers to

the legal profession, or junior legalprofessionals. Over recent years, lawfirms have been aggressively seekingto obtain the best available talent. Inparticular demand, are commercialproperty lawyers and corporatemergers & acquisitions (M&A)lawyers, with demand also high forbanking lawyers. Recent years havealso seen a surge in opportunities forlegal professionals involved in funds.Niche speciality opportunities aredefinitely on the increase; specialistsin areas such as IP, derivatives, privateequity, debt capital markets, energy,construction, pensions, competitionand EU law have all been the focus ofsubstantial recruitment efforts bylarge commercial firms.

Legal sector expertssay that the trafficis not all one way,and that Irish firmsperform well interms of attractionand retention

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This represents an interestingdivergence from the traditional fourcore legal disciplines of finance,litigation, real estate and corporatelaw. The reason is the low level ofrecruitment during the economiccrisis, from 2009–2011. This hasresulted in a sizeable skillset shortagein these areas, which is becomingapparent now that the economicrecovery continues to gather pace.

Specialists in the area of legalrecruitment also anticipate a‘significant’ increase in constructionlaw opportunities within larger lawfirms, particularly as there will be adeficit until more graduates train inthat area.

The attraction of major global lawfirms in the UK, particularly inLondon, has meant that Irishemployers have had to work harder toattract and retain talent. However,legal sector experts say that thetraffic is not all one way, and thatIrish firms perform well in terms ofattraction and retention and thattalented lawyers are returning toIreland in sizeable numbers to takeadvantage of opportunities here.

The graduate viewA recent sector survey asked lawgraduates a question; if the decisionwas entirely your own, what would beyour first choice of practice area uponqualification as a solicitor?

Responses varied according to thesize of the firm. For respondents fromsmall firms (less than 50 employees)

UK’s largest research Centre forSecure IT (CSIT) and an unparalleledresearch focus in the fields of dataanalytics and artificial intelligencethrough its Knowledge & DataEngineering Centre and its Centrefor Statistical Science & OperationalResearch.

Ulster University is home to theLegal Innovation Centre – acollaboration between the School ofLaw and the School of Computing &Intelligent Systems. The first of itskind in the UK, the centre bringstogether research into theapplication and impact of new legaltechnology and opportunities forthe education and training ofcurrent and future lawyers inessential legal tech skills. A corefocus of the Legal Innovation Centreis research and development oncomputational law, which is abranch of legal informatics focusedon the automation andmechanisation of legal analysis.Ulster University also is advancingthe field of AI via its ArtificialIntelligence Research Group andIntelligent Systems Research Centre.

Specialists in the area of legalrecruitment anticipate a ‘significant’increase in construction lawopportunities within larger law firms

technology and IP law was the firstchoice practice area, with 22%expressing this preference ahead ofthe more traditional commercial lawdisciplines (14%). 18% wanted toqualify into general practice, with16% wishing to practice in generalcivil litigation. Only 9% ofrespondents wished to qualify intofamily law and 9% wanted to go intocommercial litigation.

Amongst trainees working infirms with between 50–300employees, commercial litigation andbanking law were the most popularchoices, both at 19%. Amongsttrainees working in the largest firms,with more than 300 employees, 27%of respondents would choose toqualify into commercial litigation,17% into technology and IP law and17% into banking law. A further 7%sought roles in corporate law andonly 3% in real estate.

Opportunities in NorthernIrelandThe region continues to generategraduates poised to thrive at theconvergence of law and technology.Queen’s University is home to the



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Areas of work: solicitorsAs a solicitor, you can enjoy varied work and the opportunity to specialise, along with a good startingsalary and excellent long-term prospects.

Solicitors could be described as generalpractitioners of the law. Their role is to provide abroad service to individuals, families, businesses,

large companies, corporations, and organisations andestablishments of every nature. As consultants to theirclients, they dispense legal advice and information; asexecutors and administrators, they process andimplement legal procedures and transactions. The workis generally very varied. Some solicitors’ firms willspecialise in a few areas, while other practices will dealwith every conceivable legal issue.

Solicitors’ firms can range hugely in size, from onesole practitioner (rare) to very large international firmsemploying hundreds of legal practitioners. Larger firmsare more likely to specialise, either in legal areas suchas corporate mergers, acquisitions or tax, or in certainindustry sectors such as IT, construction or banking.Smaller firms often work very much as generalpractitioners, dealing with family members, smallbusiness owners, farmers, property owners and so on.

Qualified solicitors can find work in a variety ofenvironments. The two fundamental choices are thepublic/state sector or the private/commercial sector.

In the Republic of Ireland, public sector employersinclude the Office of the Attorney General, which ismade up of different offices: the Advisory Counsel,responsible for legal advice and consultation to allgovernment departments and offices; the Office of theParliamentary Counsel to the Government, responsiblefor drafting legislation and statute law revision; and theChief State Solicitors Office, where solicitors whorepresent the Attorney and the State work. The Office ofthe Director of Public Prosecution also employs a teamof solicitors. Occasional opportunities also arise with theLaw Reform Commission and the Courts Service.Qualified solicitors can also work with the Legal AidBoard, which has law centres all over Ireland providingcivil legal aid and a refugee legal service.

In Northern Ireland, the Public Prosecution Serviceemploys approximately 165 solicitors as both PublicProsecutors and Senior Prosecutors, whose role it is toconsider all files and cases submitted by the Police andgovernment departments and decide and advise as toprosecution. Recruitment is via the local press and theNorthern Ireland Civil Service Recruitment website.

There are also opportunities for solicitors in theNorthern Ireland Courts Service and the Northern IrelandLegal Services Commission. Other organisations such asthe Human Rights Commission employ legal officers.

Employment opportunities in the private sector are farmore plentiful. The choices range from large to mediumcity-based firms to small firms in rural towns. Larger firmswith a strong corporate/commercial focus – mostlyDublin-based – employ large numbers of solicitors. Thereare also jobs available for in-house company solicitors,mainly within multinational corporations.

Where can I work?


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Core activities• Undertaking consultations with clients• Advising clients on the law and how it may affect their

case• Researching and applying relevant points of law to solve

clients’ legal problems and needs• Drafting legal documents to protect clients’ interests.• Briefing barristers to represent clients in court or appear

in court on behalf of clients.

Key areas of work• Advising private clients: dealing with all aspects of their

needs (marital break-up, consumer complaints, personalinjury, planning inquiries, etc.)

• Business and corporate: advising clients on companylaw, partnerships, mergers, arbitration, insolvency,intellectual property, e-commerce, etc

• Litigation: initiating or defending proceedings in courtor settling claims or disputes ‘out of court’

• Conveyancing: buying and selling property, preparationof title deeds, leases and other legal documentsassociated with the buying and leasing of private orcommercial properties

• Wills, probates and administration of estates: advisingon and preparing assets for tax; administration anddistribution of estates through death or contained in atrust.

SpecialismsBig firms with larger staff resources have departmentsdedicated to specialist areas, and the requirement forspecialised legal services is on the increase. Typical examplesof groups of legal teams and departments include bankingand financial services, planning and environment,intellectual property, corporate, regulatory, risk managementand compliance. All large firms engage extensively in workfor corporate and commercial clients, and solicitorsproviding these services need to be fully attuned to thelatest developments in the legal and business world. Key

specialisms include corporate law, property law, family lawand criminal law.

Starting outMost newly qualified solicitors remain with the firm theyhave trained with for the first year. Despite recent economicdifficulties, research shows that an increasing number oftrainees are being retained, particularly in large firms.

Young solicitors can expect to work very hard, ideallygaining a broad range of practice experience whilebeginning to define themselves professionally, takingopportunities to gain more in-depth experience in lawfields they are particularly interested in. Adapting to thechanging market for legal services involves acquiringexperience in new growth areas within law, andcommitment to continuing professional developmentopportunities.

SalariesLess than one year after qualifying, solicitors can expect toearn generally between €40,000–€50,000 outside Dublin andbetween €45,000–€55,000 approximately in Dublin. Partnersin large firms can earn over €100,000. Solicitors in large firmscan earn approximately 20 per cent more than those in smallfirms. Bonuses vary: broadly speaking, solicitors receivebetween 10 and 30 per cent of fees generated. In NorthernIreland, newly qualified solicitors can earn between£22,000–£26,000 while partners can earn up to £80,000.

Who would it suit?The essential qualities and skills for a fulfilling andsuccessful career as a solicitor include:• well developed communication and interpersonal skills• the ability to work effectively as part of a team• research, analytical and evaluative skills• initiative• willingness to work hard• the ability to work well under pressure• common sense.

• The Law Society of Ireland www.lawsociety.ie• The Law Society of Northern Ireland www.lawsoc-ni.org• Chief State Solicitor’s Office www.csso.ie• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

www.dppireland.ie• Office of the Attorney General www.attorneygeneral.ie• Legal Aid Board www.legalaidboard.ie• Public Prosecution Service (Northern Ireland)

www.ppsni.gov.uk• Northern Ireland Civil Service Recruitment website

www.nicsrecruitment.gov.uk

• Northern Ireland Legal Services Commissionwww.nilsc.org.uk Public body responsible for theprovision of publicly funded services in Northern Ireland

• British and Irish Legal Information Institutewww.bailii.org Provides freely available public legalinformation

• www.legal.ie Directory of solicitors’ firms and practiceareas for all 32 counties

• The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europewww.ccbe.org

Further information


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Areas of work: barristersThe work of a barrister is wide ranging and complex, whether inside the court room or out.In fact, most of the work undertaken by barristers is settled outside the courtroom.

Barristers are professional advocates who deal withcourt work at all levels. They are sole practitioners,which means they depend entirely on themselves

for work and income. They largely rely on solicitors forwork.

A barrister’s role is to specialise in providing anadvisory and/or advocacy service for which they are‘briefed’ by a solicitor (or professional body etc.). Barristerstherefore can be seen as consultants to solicitors. A lot ofthe work involves conducting research. Some barristersspecialise in specific areas of law. Criminal, commercialand family law are the most common, while otherspecialisms can include employment or labour law andhuman rights law, personal injury and litigation.

Many legal cases are settled out of court. However,when a case is brought to court, a barrister will thenappear to argue the case on behalf of the client, defendingor prosecuting. In the Irish and UK legal system, courthearings in contested cases are conducted in anadversarial manner. Each side presents its case and seeksto challenge that of its opponent through the evidence ofits own witnesses, cross-examination and legal argument.This forms the core work of the barrister.

HoursThe working hours can vary greatly for a barrister,depending on how many cases they juggle in any givenweek. The hours spent in court reflect a very small portionof the number of hours actually worked. Long hours arespent researching and preparing cases, in addition toconducting briefs with solicitors.

LocationBarristers in the Republic of Ireland are based at the LawLibrary in Dublin. The Irish legal jurisdiction is divided intocircuits (the geographical areas where a circuit court judgeresides). Barristers are attached to certain circuits,although they are not confined to practising in theircircuit. Newly qualified barristers will attach themselvesto one circuit and will generally remain based there for theduration of their professional career.

In Northern Ireland, barristers are based at the BarLibrary in Belfast, which provides office and libraryfacilities. They also work at a number of other courts andtribunals around Northern Ireland. Like all barristers, theywill also do much preparation work at home.

Further information• The Law Library www.lawlibrary.ie• The Bar Council www.lawlibrary.ie• Irish Courts Service www.courts.ie• The Bar Council and Bar Library of Northern Ireland.

www.barlibrary.com• The Northern Ireland Court Service

www.courtsni.gov.uk


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Core activities• Pleading cases in courts• Representing individuals and organisations who appear

before public enquiries and tribunals• Giving advice on legal matters, drafting legal

documents and giving expert legal opinions onparticular issues.

Starting outQualification as a barrister takes place in three stages: theacademic stage, the vocational stage and the trainee stage(see page 17).

Life as a newly qualified barrister is guaranteed to beprecarious and insecure for the first four to five years. Itcan be difficult to become established, and financial

Where can I find workThe choices largely fall into two categories: go intopractice and work in what is essentially a self-employedcapacity or work in the public sector.

Practising barristers in the Republic of Ireland canwork in one of seven circuits (geographically definedlegal practice areas): Munster circuit – which in practicecan be divided into the Cork circuit and the SouthWestern circuit – Northern circuit, Western circuit,Midlands circuit, Eastern circuit and Dublin circuit.Barristers will normally practise in one circuit.

In Northern Ireland, barristers are based at the BarLibrary in Belfast, which provides office and libraryfacilities. Barristers work from a new library building inChichester Street and the old library at the Royal Courtsof Justice. They also work at a number of other courtsand tribunals around Northern Ireland.

In the public sector, barristers in ROI can find work inthe Office of the Attorney General, the Office of theDirector of Public Prosecution, the Law ReformCommission, the Courts Service, and the Legal Aid Boardwww.legalaidboard.ie. They may also take onprosecution work on behalf of the state.

The Civil Service has been a traditional career pathfor many qualified barristers, who can enter atAdministrative Officer level or higher, working in anygovernment department. A few in-house legal counselpositions arise with corporations and largeorganisations, and are usually open to barristers orsolicitors.

In Northern Ireland, there are a limited number ofopportunities for barristers in the public sector. In mostcases, they will need to have between three and fiveyears’ experience to be eligible to apply. The AttorneyGeneral’s Office and the Public Prosecution Serviceprovide the main opportunities for barristers.

support from family or another source of income may beessential in those first years.

The costs of getting started are considerable. In theRepublic of Ireland all barristers must pay an annualsubscription to the Law Library; in Northern Ireland, newbarristers pay an annual ‘practising certificate’ fee to theBar Library.

The first briefs that a new barrister takes on are vitallyimportant. Solicitors and more experienced colleagues willclosely watch the way they are handled and presented incourt. If they are impressed by what they see, more briefsmay be offered.

Career developmentWhen a newly qualified barrister is called to the Bar, theyare known as a Junior Counsel. A Junior Counsel can applyto become a Senior Counsel after gaining 12 or moreyears’ experience as a Junior. Senior Counsel will generallypractise only in the High Court and Supreme Court. It ismost common for Senior Counsel to specialise in aparticular area of law. High Court work involves givingmore time to preparation and presentation of cases andprovision of specialised legal opinions. The morespecialised nature of the work of a Senior Counsel isreflected in the fees charged.

In Northern Ireland, the most senior barristers areknown as Queen’s Counsel. Other barristers (who may alsobe very experienced) are known as Junior Counsel.

Barristers have a long tradition of public service; in theRepublic of Ireland many have become members of theDáil and the Seanad, and the Attorney General is always amember of the Bar. Senior judges are selected from theranks of members of the Bar.

Who would it suit?A barrister needs to display evidence of thorough,organised and well researched preparation and, mostimportantly, the ability to think and act on his or her feet.Since barristers depend almost entirely on solicitors forwork, they need to be able to network effectively andbuild on any contacts they already have.

Essential qualities for a successful career at the Bar are:• articulate communication• excellent research skills• confidence• resilience• the ability to work under pressure• initiative.


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Employment and volunteeringopportunities for law graduates

Free Legal Advice CentresInternships are available with FLACfrom time to time. These internshipsoffer an opportunity to join theorganisation for a specified period.An intern is usually a law student orlaw graduate who engages in avariety of roles, including informationprovision, legal research and eventsorganisation. Check the FLAC websiteat: www.flac.ie

Irish Penal Reform TrustEmployment opportunities arise withthe Irish Penal Reform Trust fromtime to time. See www.iprt.ie forfurther details

Irish Council for Civil LibertiesIrish Council for Civil Liberties: anindependent organisation whichlobbies primarily in the arenas ofhuman rights and equality. Visitwww.iccl.ie for further details.

Non-governmentalorganisationsInternships in non-governmentalorganisations (NGO’s). Many NGO’sadvertise for internships each year,for example, Amnesty International.These are voluntary positions forapproximately four to six months.Vacancies with AmnestyInternational become available fromtime to time in Ireland and in otheroffices abroad. The eligibilityrequirements for these positions varyfrom job to job. A background in lawand in particular human rights law isnormally a requirement for positionsadvertised. For more informationvisit: www.amnesty.ie/get-involved/work-with-us.

Children’s Law CentreThe Children’s Law Centre is one ofthe leading children’s charities inNI. It works to protect the rights ofall children living in NI but inparticular those who are the mostdisadvantaged, especially childrenwho are living with disabilities, have special educational needs,mental health problems and areexperiencing discrimination. The Centre welcomes professionalvolunteers, such as those with legal training. Visitwww.childrenslawcentre.org.ukfor more details.

Law Centre (NI)The Law Centre runs the LegalSupport Project (LSP), which canprovide help by way of advice orrepresentation in social security

appeals and industrial tribunals toclaimants who do not have accessto alternative representation. TheLSP is looking for volunteers from awide variety of legal/advicebackgrounds and experience. Theproject will be of particular interestto experienced advisers, lawgraduates and newly qualifiedlawyers who want to gain valuablerepresentation experience. Visitwww.lawcentreni.org/lsp/about-lsp.html for more details.

Work opportunities in theEuropean CommissionIf you have a second language youcan work within one of the EUInstitutions. There are twice yearlytraineeship intakes, see:www.ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.htm

Northern Ireland

Internships can be very helpful inassisting graduates with careerchoices. A number of voluntary

organisations employ or place lawgraduates to support their work.Some of these organisations mayalso run internship programmes. Thefollowing is an overview of some ofthese organisations.

Northern Ireland hasa growing reputationas a centre for legalservices


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Alternative careersMany law graduates choose to pursue non-law oriented career paths, using their transferable skillssuccessfully across a wide range of roles.

Not all law graduates choose topractise, as the knowledge andskills gained through a law

degree make them highly employablein other areas. Law graduates emergefrom university with an ability toanalyse, interpret, evaluate, assimilateand synthesise large amounts ofinformation. As such, they are usuallygood communicators and have welldeveloped problem-solving ability.These are all valuable skills thattransfer well.

Some of the most popularalternative career destinations for lawgraduates are finance, accountancyand tax. The sector career guide‘gradireland Finance’ will help you findout more about some of these careers.

BankingMost banks recruit from all disciplines.Graduate opportunities extend acrossdifferent areas. Typical training optionsinclude retail banking, capital markets,commercial and corporate banking,and accountancy (chartered ormanagement). Banks start theirrecruitment process early in the yearso getting organised in the first fewweeks of your final year is essential.You need to have an impressive CV andeffective online application skills. Beprepared for assessment centres andinterviews before Christmas.

AccountancyAccountancy is one of the mostpopular ‘change of direction’ routes forgraduates from all disciplines. Aqualification in accountancy offers afuture full of career developmentopportunities across all areas of

finance, business and industry. Thereare four main qualification routeswithin accountancy. Many employersalso opt to add a taxation qualificationwhile training or on completion offinal accountancy exams. It is possibleto gain a qualification while training ina business environment or practice.

Tax consultancyThe core work of the tax consultant isto ensure that their clients pay their taxand comply with all tax regulations.The work involves combining technicalknowledge, business acumen and legalknowledge to inform and adviseclients. The work is very varied: clientscan include individuals makingdecisions about pensions, investments,buying or selling a property, or settingup or restructuring a business.Corporate clients could be largemultinational firms, banks or evengovernment departments. Taxconsultancy can have a strongEuropean and international element,given the continuing development ofEuropean Union legislation and thelarge international investment inIreland. There is a considerable overlapbetween law and tax consultancy,much of the work requiring legalexpertise.

Tax consultants can find work witha range of employers: accountancyfirms, large financial institutions, biglaw firms, multinational organisationsand the Civil Service. The Irish TaxationInstitute (ITI) is the training andqualifying body in Ireland(www.taxinstitute.ie). Law graduatesapply for an exemption from certainparts of the ITI qualification. ITI-

qualified tax consultants can alsowork in all other EU member states.

The professional body for the UK isthe Chartered Institute of Taxation,which has a Northern Ireland branch(www.tax.org.uk).

Management trainingprogrammesMany employers recruit newgraduates each year, providingintensive training and mentoringdesigned to equip trainees with theskills for management. Manyorganisations offer specific graduatemanagement programmes in areassuch as marketing, HR, IT and generalmanagement. Many recruiters visitcampuses during the autumnmilkround season and will also attendrecruitment fairs on campus,providing an effective and informalway of finding out what life might belike working for them. While someapplication deadlines are open, mostemployers have fixed applicationdeadline dates. The gradirelanddirectory and the websitegradireland.com/graduate-employersinclude details of many employersoffering graduate trainingprogrammes.

Postgraduate conversioncoursesA postgraduate conversion course canhelp you to move in a differentdirection. There is increased mobilityacross disciplines. Thegradireland.com/further-studywebsite has a database of availablecourses.


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You shoulddemonstrate drive,ambition and tenacity

gradireland Law talks to Aaron Boyle, senior partner in the Infrastructure, Construction and Utilities group at Arthur Cox about what graduates can expect from a career with a major Firm such as theirs.

Arthur Cox is a major Irishcorporate law firm and weencompass all aspects of

corporate and business law. Theyhave over 750 people in their Dublinoffice, including partners, associates,trainees and support staff. Aaron sitson the Firm’s Trainee Steering Groupalongside two other senior partners,Robert Cain and Maura McLaughlin.

Can you tell us about some of theopportunities that Arthur Cox offersstudents and graduates? Arthur Cox offers a range ofopportunities for undergraduates andgraduates wanting to learn moreabout corporate law including:

Accelerate Programme – aninformation and networking eveningfor first year students to gain anunderstanding of what it is like towork in a leading corporate law firm.

Summer Intern Programme – atArthur Cox we run two four-weeksummer internship programmes ayear (generally one at the start andone at the end of the summer). Theinternships are paid andaccommodation is provided whereneeded. We accept applications fromstudents in second year or above, fromlaw and non-law courses.

The Arthur Cox TraineeDevelopment Programme is a 2.5 year

programme which ultimately resultsin qualification as a solicitor. In ArthurCox, our trainees rotate through 5different practice areas. This gives thebroadest experience possible for ourtrainees to develop their legal andcommercial skills. We want ourlawyers to be innovators, providingclients with legal solutions that meettheir business needs. As a legal traineewith a major firm, you will advisemarket-leading domestic andinternational clients. You will work asan integral part of a team withlawyers who are thought-leaders intheir fields. At every stage of yourtraining and development, you will beencouraged to push your boundariesand to get involved in work of thehighest calibre in an environmentdesigned to support your professionalgrowth and development. There iscomprehensive learning &development programme provided todevelop each trainee’s individualpotential. The programme focuses onboth professional and personaldevelopment. The Firm also hasaward-winning Women in the Firmand Alliance (LGBTQ+) initiatives, andour diversity and inclusion programmealso covers mental health, parentingand a range of other areas.

The majority of our trainees sharean office with a partner or senior

associate. This gives you invaluableexposure to the work of the practicegroups, allows you to learn from theexperts and helps you to buildmeaningful life-long connections. As afirm, Arthur Cox puts a lot of emphasison charitable work. One of the uniquethings about the Trainee DevelopmentProgramme is the opportunity given totrainees to take part in our award-winning, entirely trainee-led, ZambiaProject. The Zambia Project wasestablished by trainees in 2008 andsince then over 100 trainees havetravelled to Zambia and have raisedover €550,000 to benefit the region.

Trainees are heavily involved in thesocial activities of the Firm. Thisincludes taking part in sport and gymactivities and participating in themany social and fundraising activitiesthat take place throughout the year.We also offer trainees the opportunityto do placement work with bodiessuch as the Immigration Council, anoverseas secondment in Brussels aswell as a trainee rotation in ourLondon office.

What is the Firm looking for wheninterviewing graduates?Grades – we look for graduates whocan demonstrate the ability toproduce high-quality work in acollaborative environment. Having a


13

strong and consistent academic recordis a good indicator of this andtherefore grades are an important partof the selection process, however weconsider each application in itsentirety, not just the grades. Everyapplication we receive is reviewed inperson and there is no cut-off point interms of grades.

Work experience – we will beinterested in hearing about your workexperience at interview. It does nothave to be legal or commercialexperience, what matters is how youobtained the placement, what youlearned and what you achieved, witha solutions-driven focus,commitment, openness tocollaboration and team work.

Extra-curricular interests – we arelooking for rounded individuals whohave an interest in the world aroundthem.

Drive – the culture of the Firm isrich and dynamic. It suits those whohave a continuous thirst to developlegal expertise, who have ambitiouscareer goals and who prefer anentrepreneurial atmosphere. Youshould aim to demonstrate drive,ambition and tenacity through yourresponses at interview.

Teamwork – the importance ofteamwork cannot be underestimated.Our graduates will be required to workclosely with their colleagues in thepractice groups they are assigned to.

Commercial acumen – the bestlawyers are recognised for the high-quality, commercially astute advicethat they provide. Candidates shouldbe in a position to demonstratebusiness-focus and commercialcommon sense at interview. We arelooking for problem-solvers withbusiness acumen who set highstandards and achieve them.

Alignment to our values – ourvalues as a firm are at the core ofeverything we do. our graduates will

be expected to familiarise themselveswith these values and demonstratetheir alignment with these valuesthrough their responses.

What makes some graduates stand outduring interview?Be yourself – the purpose of theinterview process is to get to know you;your strengths, your motivation andultimately your fit for the employer, andvice versa. We encourage graduates tobe themselves at interview. We are aninclusive and diverse workplace andwe encourage everyone to bring theirwhole self to work.

Demonstrate the key characteristicssought – candidates should prepareexamples to demonstrate theirstrengths in the areas mentioned aboveand also examples that demonstratehow the graduate aligns with ourcorporate values.

Empathy – interviews are adynamic environment. Candidatesshould engage with interviewers,listen and demonstrate theirunderstanding of topics and issuesdiscussed.

Commercial awareness – conveyinga very good understanding of thebusiness environment in which ArthurCox operates is important.

What can graduates expect in the earlystages of the graduate programme?Our trainees generally start in eitherJanuary or May each year. Thosestarting in January will complete sixrotations over the course of theirtraineeship, those in May willcomplete five.

The Trainee DevelopmentProgramme begins with acomprehensive orientation trainingprogramme to ensure trainees knowthe systems and have the skills theyneed to thrive, ensuring a smoothtransition into the work place. Thefocus on learning & development

continues throughout the 2.5 yearswith a bespoke training programme inplace to support the professional andpersonal development of the trainees.

From the very start of thetraineeship our trainees are supportedand guided – most of our trainees getto share an office with a partner orsenior associate which ensures theyare exposed first hand to high qualitywork. Trainees are given feedbackduring and at the end of each rotation,to recognise their strengths andachievements and assist them inidentifying areas for improvement anddevelopment.

What are some of the majorchallenges facing graduate recruitersin the law sphere?Highly competitive market – thegraduate recruitment market is highlycompetitive and this trend is set tocontinue. At Arthur Cox we areworking hard to ensure our TraineeDevelopment Programme andremuneration package are marketleading, and that the firm offers asupportive, diverse and friendlyenvironment, so that we attract thehighest calibre graduates.

Attracting graduates from diversebackgrounds – we recognise thebenefit of having graduates from avariety of backgrounds who bringdifferent perspectives to businessissues, and strongly encourage thosefrom such backgrounds to apply.

Brexit – this will inevitably affectthe graduate recruitment market inthe foreseeable future. Brexit hasresulted in international firms openingoffices in Dublin, which increasescompetition for talent. However, onthe other side of the equation, we arebeginning to see graduates whowould formerly have gone to the UKdeciding to train in Ireland to ensuretheir qualification will be recognisedacross Europe post-Brexit.


14

Why did you decide on a career in law?I was unsure about what I wanted todo when I left school so I chose abroad course – Business and Law. Ireally enjoyed both aspects of mydegree and felt that working incorporate law would allow me tocombine the two.

Why did you decide to apply to ArthurCox and what was the applicationprocess like and what tips would youhave for other graduates looking toapply?In my second year of college I appliedfor the Summer Intern Programme inArthur Cox as I knew the firm had anexcellent reputation and worked withinteresting clients.

Over the course of the internship Igot a great sense of the firm’s culture.Arthur Cox has an ‘open door’ policywhere trainees share offices withpartners and everyone is encouragedto ask questions. This fosters a greatlearning environment where expertsin different fields help others todevelop their skills. I also learnedabout the strong CSR programmehere. Particularly the trainee-ledZambia Project, which gives traineesthe opportunity to volunteer in ruralregions in Zambia. The whole firm isvery supportive of this uniqueopportunity.

I applied for the Summer InternProgramme through the onlineapplication form on the Arthur Cox

website and was lucky enough to beoffered a training contract at the endof the internship. My advice to othergraduates would be to partake in aninternship programme if possible,they can help you to decide not onlywhether you want to work in acorporate law firm, but also whetherthe firm is a good fit.

What does your day-to-day roleinvolve and what do you like mostabout it?Arthur Cox offers trainees a chance tocomplete one of their rotations intheir offices in London. I am currentlycompleting my Finance rotation in theLondon office and it has been afantastic experience. As the office issmaller than in Dublin the team isclose-knit. I have had great exposureto drafting documents for differenttransactions and liaising with clients.Business development is anotherimportant aspect of the London seatand I regularly attend and meetclients at different events.

What has been a challenge you havefaced and what’s the biggestmisconception that people can haveabout working in a law firm?It can be challenging working on largeinternational transactions. Co-ordinating a large number of partiesrequires strict deadlines and the dealscan be very fast-moving. However thebenefit of working on these

transactions is that you have theopportunity to work with the bestlawyers from the biggest law firms allover the world on really interestingprojects.

One of the biggest misconceptionsabout working in a law firm is thatthe work will focus on applying whatis studied in a law degree. Working ina law firm is about a lot more thansimply applying the law. In realitythere is a huge commercial elementto the work and lawyers need to be intune with their clients and theircorporate needs.

What particularly area do you hope tospecialise in and how do you see yourcareer developing?I do not know where I want tospecialise yet. One of the tips I receivedduring the Summer Intern Programmewas to keep an open mind during mytraineeship. Many people qualify intoan area that they had not consideredbefore starting their traineeship. InArthur Cox we have the opportunity todo five seats, one rotation more thanmost firms. I plan on completing arotation in each of the four mainpractice areas – Corporate, Finance,Litigation and Property. Once I have asense of the type of work I enjoy I willthen chose a specialist seat for my lastrotation. Right now my main focus isto get as much experience as I can as atrainee and my career will developfrom there.

My main focus is to get as much experience as I can

Sinéad McDonagh

Job Trainee solicitorEmployer Arthur CoxEducation Business and Law (Trinity College Dublin 2016)

My legal career


15

How did you decide that you wanted topursue a career in law?I did a week’s work experience in a lawfirm when I was in 4th year insecondary school and my love of lawstarted there! I really enjoyed theoverall problem solving element of thejob. I did the ALG month long SummerInternship Programme (SIP) and itconfirmed my desire to be a lawyer.

Why did you decide to apply to A&LGoodbody and what was theapplication process like and what tipswould you have for other graduateslooking to apply?Having lived and studied in America,ALG’s international presence in NewYork, San Francisco and London wasimportant to me. This, along with thefirm’s leading position in the Irish legalmarket encouraged me to apply for theSIP.

I specifically tailored my applicationfor ALG incorporating the firm’s valuesand I made sure that my ownpersonality shone through.

My SIP interview was via Skype as Iwas studying in Chicago at the time.We covered lots of topics such as what Iwas doing in college, what it was like tostudy in the USA, and my hobbies suchas singing in a choir. To use an oldcliché, my key tip is – be yourself! It isnot purely an interview on youracademic or legal aptitude but alsoyour life experiences and businessacumen.

What does your day-to-day role involveand what do you like most about it?Every day in work is different and I reallylike that. General things that I doinclude updating transactiondocuments, doing company filings,carrying out legal research andassisting my team as best I can.

I was very fortunate to be involvedin two interesting and fast-pacedprojects during my first rotation. Thatwork was an invaluable experience andreally helped me to learn howtransactions work. My team reallyinvolved me in these projects and I wasgrateful to have the opportunity toprove myself.

I like the diversity of my current role.I am part of a large corporate teamspecialising in mergers and acquisitionsand equity capital markets. The teamare working on several differentprojects, and this gives me valuableexperience across different aspects ofthe corporate world.

What has been a challenge you havefaced and what’s the biggestmisconception that people can haveabout working in a law firm?As a trainee solicitor you are constantlylearning, you may not always know theanswer or how to do something.Coming to terms with this andreassessing my expectation level formyself was a challenge but as mytraining continues I think I haveprogressed and improved.

People often think that juniormembers in law firms only get boringrepetitive tasks – this has not been myexperience at all. My team really involveme in the valuable elements of the deal.They are always thinking about mydevelopment and they take time toexplain transactions.

What particular area do you hope tospecialise in and how do you see yourcareer developing?I have always been interested incorporate law and completed a mergerand acquisitions module in university.

As part of my training I’ll get to workin three more departments and I amreally looking forward to seeing thework that they do and how it fits intothe overall work of the firm. ALG hasover 30 different specialist areas sothere is a great opportunity to get awide range of experience. Irrespectiveof the area in which I specialise I wantto develop my legal skills andknowledge over the coming years. Iwant to become a high quality lawyerand I have the opportunity to do that inALG.

As a trainee solicitor you are constantly learning

Sarah Holland

Job Trainee solicitor Employer A&L Goodbody (ALG)Education Bachelor of Common Law (UCD 2016)

I want to developmy legal skills andknowledge over thecoming years.


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What if I don’t have a lawdegree?There are a number of preparatoryand conversion courses available forboth law and non-law graduates.These include the PostgraduateDiploma in Law at the DublinInstitute of Technology, theConversion to Law Preparatory courseat Holy Trinity College Cork LawSchool, the Law Society of Ireland FE1part-time/online Preparatory courseat Griffith College Professional LawSchool, Dublin, and Masters in LegalScience at Queen’s University Belfast.

Postgraduate courses for law graduatesAlthough this is not specifically anentry requirement, many peoplepreparing for a career in law decide toundertake a postgraduate coursebefore seeking entry into a law firm.For some, a higher qualification mayhelp to enhance career prospects butthere is no hard and fast rule as youmay also gain similar specialistexpertise over the course of yourcareer. If you have a genuinely deepinterest in a particular area, however,a postgraduate qualification mayprove valuable.

Those involved in recruitment,especially in the medium to largerfirms, have differing views on the valueof postgraduate degrees. Some feelthat the quality of your undergraduatedegree is the most important thing,and what matters most are the reasonswhy you wanted to study law in thefirst place. Gaining a postgraduatedegree, however, is often seen asdemonstrating initiative, and an extrayear of maturity is also viewedfavourably by recruiters. Taking a

Entry and training

Whichever route you choose to your legal career, it will involve exams, more exams and formal training.

postgraduate degree in a non-legalsubject, such as business, can also bevaluable, as it allows you to seelearning from a different perspective.

There is a wide range of taughtcourses available, and you shouldcheck the course database ongradireland.com/further-study for anup-to-date list. Master of Laws coursesare offered in a number of universities,both in the Republic of Ireland and inNorthern Ireland. These includesubjects such as European andcomparative law, human rights lawand commercial law.

MSc courses may be chosen insubjects such as human rights,criminal justice management andcorporate governance. There is a widerange of postgraduate diplomas tochoose from at a number ofinstitutions. These range fromcriminology to environmental law.The Law Society of Ireland provides anumber of diploma courses in Dublinand Cork, which you can undertakeafter graduation.

These currently include:• Employment law• Corporate law• Finance law• Intellectual property and

information technology• Insolvency• Legal French• Legal German• Human rights• In-house practice• Investment funds• Aviation leasing and finance• Child law• Compliance management• Banking law and practice.

Whether you choose tobecome a solicitor or abarrister – and whichever

jurisdiction you choose to do this in –you will need to study for exams andcomplete a training contract beforeyou qualify. See pages 8–9 for detailson how to become a barrister andpages 6–7 on how to become asolicitor. The information on this pageapplies, whichever route you take.

Getting a training contractYou will need to be proactive andflexible in securing the traineeshipyou want. Relevant summer workexperience puts you at a realadvantage. Networking and buildingon contacts are a must.

It might be worth consideringtaking a gap year to work as a legalassistant. The experience you gain andnetwork you develop should ensurethat you get the traineeship you want.

Further information

Republic of Ireland• The Honorable Society of King’s

Inns www.kingsinns.ie• The Law Society of Irelandwww.lawsociety.ie

• The Law Librarywww.lawlibrary.ie

• The Bar Councilwww.lawlibrary.ie

Northern Ireland• The Institute of Professional Legal

Studies www.qub.ac.uk/ipls• The Law Society of Northern

Ireland (regulates the solicitors’profession in Northern Ireland)www.lawsoc-ni.org

• The Honorable Society of the Innof Court of Northern Irelandwww.barlibrary.com


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Entry and training: barristers

The steps you must take before you are called to the Bar.

Republic of IrelandQualification as a barrister takesplace in three stages: the academicstage, the vocational stage and thepractical training stage.

The academic stageThis refers to the primary degree thatthe barrister holds.

The vocational stageThe Honorable Society of the King’sInns is the body that provideseducation and training for barristers.It runs the Barrister-at-Law degreecourse in Dublin. Law graduates withan approved degree must apply bylate May.

In order to secure a place, studentsmust sit an entrance examination infive subjects: Contract Law, CriminalLaw, Irish Constitutional Law, Law ofTorts, and Law of Evidence.

The King’s Inns provides thecourse in two ways, to help thosestudents who may have workcommitments or are unable to moveto Dublin.

The full-time course runs fromOctober to the end of May, withclasses running all day Monday toFriday. The modular course lasts fortwo years and runs every thirdweekend, all day Saturday andSunday, plus additional attendance often compulsory weekdays during

term time. Contact the King’s Inn fordetails of the next course.

Law graduates with an approveddegree are entitled to apply for aplace on the Barrister-at-Law degreecourse. Law graduates must havestudied several compulsory subjects.If they do not have this experience,they must pass an examination in theomitted subjects in the Society’sDiploma in Legal Studies course.

Law graduates must also sit anentrance examination, which coversvarious aspects of law. Moreinformation is available from theKing’s Inns office or atwww.kingsinns.ie.


18

Northern IrelandQualification in Northern Irelandalso takes the structure of theacademic, professional/vocationaland traineeship stages.

Vocational stageThe Honorable Society of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland is theprofessional body which governs theeducation, training and admittanceof barristers in NI. This responsibilityis partly delegated to the Institute ofProfessional Legal Studies, a part ofQueen’s University Belfast.

The Institute of Professional LegalStudies is responsible for trainingbarristers and solicitors in NorthernIreland. The Institute offers a one-year, full-time postgraduatevocational training course for traineebarristers. Bar trainees must spendfour weeks working in a citizens’advice bureau or law centre and oneweek shadowing a barrister prior tostarting their certificate course.

The Institute admits 20 Bartrainees each year. Pressure forplaces is intense and competitive,though unsuccessful applicantsoften successfully re-apply thefollowing year. A pilot schemeallowing six Bar trainees to take thecourse after a two-year period iscurrently running. Visit the Instituteof Professional Legal Studieswebsite for more information.

Applicants must hold a recognisedlaw degree. Core subjects mustinclude: constitutional law, criminallaw, contract, tort, land law, equity,evidence and European law.Applicants must sit a writtenadmissions test in mid-December,which is the same admissions test assolicitor applicants. The applicationdeadline is mid-November.

Students may apply for the Barand solicitor trainee courses at thesame time, but must indicate theirorder of preference. Bar and solicitortrainees largely receive the sametraining, with some smallmodifications.

It is essential for Bar trainees toapply for admittance to the Inn ofCourt before starting the course.

PupillageAll newly qualified barristers mustspend a minimum of 12 monthstraining with an experienced barristerand must complete at least sixmonths of pupillage before taking abrief on their own. The barristerassists and learns from their Masterin the same way as in the ROI.

Non-law graduates with an approvedthird-level degree are eligible to applyfor a place on the Diploma in LegalStudies (two years part time).Graduates of the Diploma can thenapply to sit the entrance examinationfor the Barrister-at-Law degree.

Some places are allocated tomature applicants (over 23 years old)who have a level of experience and/oreducation which is deemedacceptable to King’s Inns. They firstneed to sit an examination.

To be eligible to be called to theBar, students need to:• pass the Barrister-at-Law degree• pass a specified examination in the

Irish language• submit a declaration to

the benchers.

PupillageNewly qualified barristers have totrain with an experienced Dublin-based barrister (Master) for aminimum of one year following theircall to the Bar. This work is commonlyknown as ‘devilling’, and the trainingperiod known as ‘pupillage’. The workis unpaid and forms the essentiallearning period where they have anopportunity to apply their knowledgein a practical setting. Masters usuallyallocate a lot of background research,and much of the training period isspent drafting documents. Thebarrister accompanies their Master tocourt and observes the skills appliedin the courtroom.

Some newly qualified barristerstrain with a different Master for asecond year. If they plan to attachthemselves to a circuit outside Dublin,a second year of devilling in theirchosen circuit is essential. A longertraineeship not only enables them toconsolidate their learning, but it alsoexpands their network of solicitors.

Bar trainees mustspend four weeksworking in acitizens’ advicebureau or lawcentre and one weekshadowing abarrister prior tostarting theircertificate course.

Masters usuallyallocate a lot ofbackgroundresearch and muchof the trainingperiod is spentdrafting documents.


19

Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland

Approvedlaw degree

Approved non-lawdegree

King’s Inns Diploma in Legal Studies

(two years part time)www.kingsinns.ie

Entranceexamination

www.kingsinns.ie

Barrister-at-Lawdegree course

(one year full time or two year modular)

Pupillage (12 months)

Called to the Bar

Approvedlaw degree


Master in LegalScience, Queen’s

UniversityBelfast

Apply to Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) (applyby mid-November, entrance examDecember)

Admitted toInns of Court(mid-August)

Find a Master

Five weeks’ work experience

(August–September)

Attend IPLS(September–

June)

Called tothe Bar

Routes in: barristers


20

Entry and training: solicitorsBecoming a solicitor involves studying for exams and completing a training contract.

Republic of IrelandThe Law Society of Ireland, BlackhallPlace, Dublin is responsible for theeducation and training of solicitors.Blackhall Place runs the ProfessionalPractice Course, parts I and II, whichforms the solicitor’s essentialtraining. Completion of theProfessional Practice Courses, plus atraineeship with an approved solicitorleads to qualification as a solicitor.

Steps to qualificationThe entire training period from start tofinish involves a seven-step process.

Step one Sit and pass the Law Society entranceexamination, the Final Examination –First Part (FE-1). Exams are held twicea year, in autumn and spring, andthere are eight papers.

Step twoSecure a two-year training contract(Indentures of Apprenticeship) withan eligible solicitor who has beenpractising for at least four years. Aneligible solicitor must be a partnerwithin a firm or a sole practitioner.

Step threeApply to start Professional PracticeCourse I. Courses run in Dublin andCork and start in September, runningthrough to April–June whenexaminations are held.

Step fourBegin 24-month training contract/apprenticeship.

Step fiveReturn to Law Society for ProfessionalPractice Course II. Courses start inApril and last for 12 weeks, with finalexaminations in June.

Step sixReturn to training solicitor tocomplete in-office training, usually 11months.

Step seven Apply for admission to the Roll ofSolicitors. The Law Society has atrainee recruitment register on theirwebsite where students can uploadtheir CVs and firms looking fortrainees can register online. The LawSociety also provides support byholding seminars on securing yourtraining contract at least once a year.

Northern IrelandTraining to be a solicitor in NorthernIreland takes two years and differsslightly from the process in the

Republic. There are now two trainingoptions. The Institute of ProfessionalLegal Studies at Queen’s UniversityBelfast is responsible for the trainingand education of both solicitors andbarristers. The Graduate School ofProfessional Legal Education at theUniversity of Ulster now also providesvocational training for solicitors only,through their Postgraduate Diplomain Legal Practice. Eligibilityrequirements for admittance to bothcourses are the same.

Steps to qualificationThere are nine steps to qualification:

Step one Submit application for Certificate inProfessional Legal Studies by mid-November.

Step twoSecure a traineeship with anapproved solicitor. It is never too earlyto start.

Step threeSit a written admissions test, justbefore Christmas. This comprises twopapers: a numeracy test and a secondpaper to test students’ ability to applyknowledge of law in a practical way,problem-solving skills, communicationand organisational skills.

Step fourAcceptance of offer of place. Firstround offers are made mid-March,second round offers from Julythrough the summer.

Ultimately, if youfeel you wouldenjoy working in achallenging andrewardingenvironment, thena career in law isdefinitely for you. Trainee Solicitor


21

Step five Register with the Law Society ofNorthern Ireland. The closingdeadline is mid-August and earlyregistration is advisable.

Step sixBegin apprenticeship: threemonths’ in-office training from firstMonday of September to end ofDecember.

Step sevenJanuary to end of December: 12months of attendance andexaminations for Certificate ofProfessional Legal Studies(Tuesday–Friday). Mondays andholiday periods are spent in-officewith a Master.

Step eightJanuary to August, year two: eightmonths of further in-office training.

Step nineAwarded a Restricted PracticeCertificate, enabling newlyqualified solicitors to practise.However, they cannot do so on theirown or in partnership for threeyears (this can be reduced to twoyears by attending a continuinglegal education programme run bythe Law Faculty). The situationregarding securing a Master issimilar to that in the Republic: thedemand is greater than the supplyso it is advisable to make as manyapplications as possible at an earlystage.

Further information• The Law Society of Ireland

www.lawsociety.ie• The Institute of Professional

Legal Studieswww.qub.ac.uk/ipls

• University of Ulster School of Lawwww.socsci.ulster.ac.uk/law

Solicitor trainingin the Republic ofIreland andNorthern Irelandinvolves periodsof practicalexperience.


22

Republic ofIreland Northern

IrelandGraduate

First IrishExamination

Approvedlaw degree


Master in LegalScience, Queen’s

UniversityBelfast

Apply to Institute of ProfessionalLegal Studies (IPLS) or UU

Graduate School ofProfessional Legal

Education (apply by mid-November, entranceexam December)

Arrangetrainee

solicitor postwith Master

Register with Law Society (mid-August)

Pre-Institute in-office trainingwith Master(September–December)

Attend IPLS/UU(January–December)

Further in-office training (January–August)

FinalExamination First Part FE-1

(entranceexamination)

Eligibility for training contract.Training contractexecuted and

lodged with LawSociety

ProfessionalPractice Course

(PPC I)

Apprenticeshipterm trainingcontract (24months)

ProfessionalPractice Course

(PPC II)

Completeremainder of

in-office training

Admitted to Roll ofSolicitors

Admitted asa solicitor

Routes in: solicitors


23

The legal sector and diversityWhile the legal sector presents a unique range of opportunities and rewards for graduates, the reality isthat it can be a daunting, competitive environment in which to start your career, like many other sectors.However, the chances of success can be greatly compromised if you’re coming from a background whichmay not have presented the same opportunities as others enjoy, or if you’re from a minority group, eithersocial or ethnic, or if you have a disability.

It is to be welcomed that anincreasing number of legal firmsvalue the strengths that a diverse

workforce can bring, but there is stillwork to be done withunderrepresented groups in the legalprofession to ensure they have theinformation they need in order to beable to access the profession.

Aspiring Solicitors, established inthe UK but about to launch in Ireland,was set up with the express missionof increasing diversity in the legalprofession. “What we do is offeraspiring solicitors in the legalprofession unique access to a varietyof law firms and legal teams andopportunities to help themthroughout the legal applicationprocess,” says Aspiring Solicitors ChrisWhite.

Initiatives Currently there are more than 19,000Aspiring Solicitors members.Membership is completely free and isopen to undergrad, postgrad andgraduates from all disciplines, as wellas those seeking to change careerdirection to work within the legalsphere. Since 2014, the organisationhas staged over 100 events for itsmembers in the shape of skillsworkshops, internship opportunitiesand open days. “We’ve established aprofessional ambassador network inthe UK, with over 250 legal

professionals from over 80 law firmsoffering online support andassistance to our members. Theseprofessional ambassadors range fromglobal managing partners through tofuture trainees, from private practiceand in-house professionals to HR andacademic professionals.”

In addition, their UK operation hasalready put in place more than 300Student Ambassadors who canpromote the range of opportunities,and the advice which people fromdiverse backgrounds need in order toaccess legal careers.

Other supportsThere are existing supports already inplace in order to reach out to peopleof diverse, or disadvantagedbackgrounds, when it comes to the acareer in the legal profession. In orderto promote fair access to theprofession, the Law Society of Irelandhave been operating the Law SocietyAccess Scholarship Programme since2001. The programme aims to assiststudents from socio-economicallydisadvantaged backgrounds to gainaccess to professional legaleducation. It’s aims are to contributeto the creation of a broader spectrumof solicitors from a diverse range ofbackgrounds. In addition, the BarCouncil of Ireland have started anoutreach initiative to transition yearstudents to help remove barriers that

could prevent students fromdisadvantaged backgrounds frompursuing a career in law. Each February,they welcome 100 transition yearstudents for one week, with 20 placesreserved for students from schools inthe Delivering Equality of Opportunityin Schools (DEIS) programme. To applystudents must write an 800 wordessay explaining why they areinterested in a career in law. Accordingto those working with transition yearstudents such programmes are vital asthese students normally don’t have thefamily or professional connectionswithin the legal sector, or they may becoming from a background wherethird-level education was not thenorm.

“We aim to demystify the processof law firm recruitment,” adds ChrisWhite of Aspiring Solicitors.“Initiatives like our springboardprogramme, which we run withUniversity of Law, are geared toempower our members to securevacation scheme placements(internships) and ultimately atraining contract. Our material iswritten and delivered by current andformer legal graduate recruitmentmanagers, eager to share uniqueinsights and tips to increase thechances of success for our members.”Visit www.aspiringsolicitors.co.uk formore information about theirupcoming UK and Irish events.


24

Top employers in law

Make yourself heard

Vote for your favourite employer at www.trendence.co.uk/graduatestudyireland between September and early January.

Every year, we carry out a survey of students to decide the most popular graduateemployers in the country. The trendence Graduate Barometer is the largest annualcareer survey in Ireland and the votes decide the winners of the gradireland GraduateRecruitment Awards and the composition of Ireland’s 100 leading graduate employers.

Here are the winners and shortlist for law.

1 A&L Goodbody

2 Arthur Cox

3 McCann FitzGerald

4 Matheson

5 Mason Hayes & Curran

6 William Fry

7 Holmes O’Malley Sexton

8 Eversheds Sutherland

9 Maples & Calder

10 Byrne Wallace


25

A–Z of employersEmployersA&L Goodbody 26

Arthur Cox 30

EY 28

PwC 31

William Fry 32

A–Z of employers

Remember to quote gradireland Law on your job application

Factfinder

AREAS OF WORK

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dispute resolutio

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family

law

insolven

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rtax

And for further help with searching for jobs, go to: gradireland.com/career-sectors/law-legal-services-and-patents

IBC A&L Goodbody www.algoodbody.com/trainees • • • • • • • • • • • • IFC EY eyirelandcareers.ey.com • •OBC Arthur Cox www.arthurcox.com/trainee • • • • • • • • • • • • •– PwC www.pwc.ie/graduate • • • • • • • • • • • • • • – William Fry www.williamfry.com • • • • • • • • • • • • •


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Who we areA&L Goodbody is internationally recognised as Ireland’s leading law firm. Wehave an extensive and top class client list, representing household names,financial institutions and international blue chip corporations.

As a full service ‘all-island’ law firm, we have offices in Dublin and Belfast. Wealso have international offices in London, New York, San Francisco and Palo Alto.Our work environment reflects an atmosphere of achievement and excellence.

First class information technology systems and an award winning KnowledgeCentre support your development as a trainee solicitor and allow you to thrive.

We have a collaborative culture here at ALG. We find innovative and commerciallegal solutions as a team, and share knowledge throughout all levels of the firm.

What are our graduate opportunities?Our Trainee Solicitor Programme offers the best possible start to your career as alawyer. As your traineeship progresses, we work with you to develop your ownpersonal career path. As a trainee solicitor in ALG you can expect to receiveexcellent training in the practical application of the law from the moment youbegin your career with us. We invest in your on-going development as a lawyerand as a trusted business adviser, because we know how important it is to reachyour full potential.

How do we select our Trainee Solicitors?We have an online application process. Application forms can be completed viaour website at www.algoodbody.com/careers/trainees-interns. All applicantsmust be either final year degree students, postgraduates or have successfullyobtained a third level degree. Although a primary degree is a pre-requisite, wedon’t just look for people who are academically high achievers or limitapplicants to those who have studied law.

A&L Goodbody

Search: gradireland employers

ContactClodagh Collier, Trainee & InternProgramme ManagerTel +353 (0)1 649 2273Email [email protected] www.algoodbody.com/careers/trainees-internsSocial media Facebook ALGtrainees;Twitter ALG_LawStart; Snapchatalgoodbody; Instagram algoodbody

JobsType of work• banking and finance • commerciallaw • corporate law • disputeresolution • employment andpensions • EU and competition • insolvency/recovery • insurance • intellectual property • litigation • real estate/property • tax Salary Market leadingBenefits • bonus (discretionary)• education bursary • gymmembership/subsidy • life assurance• pension scheme with companycontributions • private healthcare• days’ holiday: 25+ • top of the rangesalary • PPC1 & PPC2 Law Society feespaid • full salary paid whilst atBlackhall Place, exam bonuses • extraholidays after completing each LawSociety course • medical insuranceassistance • excellent workingconditions • social activitiesNumber of vacancies 35+

Work experienceSummer Internship Programme 4 weeksStudent Placement Programme 3 weeks to 9 monthsNumber of positions 60–65

Locations• Republic of Ireland • NorthernIreland

Apply• Online Closing date 14/10/2018

2018

law

WINNER


27Grad

uate profile

Name: Alexandra Spain

Position: Trainee Solicitor

University: Trinity College Dublin

I studied Law in Trinity College Dublinand did the Summer Internship

Programme (SIP) in A&L Goodbody in 2015 from which Iwas offered a training contract. SIP was a great way toexperience life in a corporate law firm and see if the firmwas a good fit for me.

I am now a first year trainee in ALG and am currentlyworking in the Environmental & Planning department. Ireally enjoy the variety of work. Every week is different andI get to experience both the advisory and the litigationwork that the team are involved in. The work is challengingand often time sensitive but the team is very supportiveand you get to see the contribution that you make to theoverall work. The continual feedback I receive helps me toimprove and develop my skills. I enjoy getting more andmore responsibility as my training progresses.

The trainee solicitor programme is very well structured. Aswell as on-the-job training there are weekly workshops,tailored training sessions, study supports and interestinglectures. These have really helped me to develop a range ofskills that will help me in my legal career.

ALG prides itself as being a ‘Great Place to Work’ andencourages a healthy work life balance. I have continued toplay hockey since starting my traineeship. There is a greatsocial side too with a summer barbeque, tennistournaments, tag teams, themed weeks, as well as traineesolicitor weekends away.

I have really enjoyed my first year with ALG and wouldhighly recommend it to anyone looking to start their careerin a top commercial law firm.

Name: Conor Bell

Position: Trainee Solicitor

University: Queen’s UniversityBelfast

I am a first year trainee in A&LGoodbody. I studied Law at Queen’s University Belfastand worked as a paralegal at another firm beforeapplying for a traineeship with ALG. I didn’t participate inALG’s Summer Internship Programme, however the firm’srecruitment process and open evening allowed me to geta real feel for the firm before I joined.

I am currently on my first of four rotations, so over thecourse of my training I’ll get to chance to work in fourdifferent departments. At the moment I’m working withthe Litigation & Dispute Resolution team and I’m reallyenjoying it. The weekly training and developmentworkshops for trainee solicitors have been invaluable andhave helped me to develop as a trainee. Combined withthe access to a great Knowledge Centre with lots ofresources, learning is made easy at ALG.

Life at ALG isn’t all about corporate legal work – there is agreat social and corporate responsibility side too. Thefirm organises regular social events and encourages youto get involved in pro bono work. During my short time atALG, I have attended quizzes and barbeques, and gotinvolved in some local community work – spending anafternoon on a boat decluttering the River Liffey! I amalso involved with the Mercy Law Resource Centre, whichprovides free legal advice to people at risk ofhomelessness. The work that the firm attracts, thetraining you receive and the social and communityculture of the firm makes ALG a really great place towork.


28

Natural talent, developed naturally.Can you play a musical instrument? Reading music needs an analytical mind,critical thinking and inventive solutions. Maybe you’re good at crosswords? Thattakes patience, concentration and problem-solving. What about art? Art takesperception, subjectivity and experimentation. Whatever your natural talents, atEY we help you develop them naturally into a meaningful career where you canuse them to excel.

Why law graduates excel at EYLaw graduates require the ability to think logically, build solutions andcommunicate succinctly. That’s why the natural talent that brought them to law,is perfect for starting the EY Graduate Programme in assurance, tax,transactions, IT, Data Analytics & Cyber or advisory. That’s why we look for lawgraduates to help us create a diverse workforce, with an array of skills and newideas that can help us build a better working world.

Start your journey with usNo matter what your natural talent, if you’re inquisitive, analytical, personable,inventive, perceptive or a natural leader, there is a Graduate Programme at EYtailored just for you. So if you’d like to join the youngest workforce in theProfessional Services industry and the 2017 gradireland Graduate Employer ofthe year, we’d love to have you.

Whatever your talent, apply it at: eyirelandcareers.ey.com

Sound like you? Apply online @ eyirelandcareers.ey.com

EY


ContactThe Student Recruitment TeamEY, Harcourt Centre,Harcourt Street, Dublin [email protected] eyirelandcareers.ey.com

JobsType of work Assurance (Audit, DataAnalytics, Forensic Accounting), Tax,Transactions (Corporate Finance),Financial Services, Advisory(Management Consultancy acrossCyber, Cloud Computing, Digital,Tech, IT, Change Management andStrategy)Salary CompetitiveBenefits Free Gym, Time Owed InLieu, Generous Study Leave,Subsidised Canteen and many moreNumber of vacancies270+ Graduate and 200 InternDegrees sought Put simply, EY hires from allbackgrounds and disciplines becausewe believe everyone has somethingto offer and our world works betterwhen we have a diverse workforce.

Work experienceSummer: 12 weeksWork Placement: 6–12 months

LocationsDublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford,Galway and Belfast.

ApplyOnline application takes < 15minutesClosing date Please see website


30

Arthur Cox


ContactEimear Power, Graduate Recruitment ManagerTel +353 (0)1 920 1000 Email [email protected] www.arthurcox.com/trainee Social media Facebook:facebook.com/ArthurCoxTraineeProgrammeTwitter: @acoxtrainees

JobsType of work• banking and finance • commerciallaw • corporate law • disputeresolution • employment andpensions • EU and competition •Insolvency/recovery • insurance •intellectual property • litigation • realestate/property • taxSalary CompetitiveBenefits • bonus (discretionary) • fullsalary whilst at Blackhall Place • PPC1& PPC2 Law Society fees paid • FE1fee remuneration • educationbursary • 25 days' holiday • lifeassurance • pension scheme withcompany contributions • on-site gym& fitness classes • cycle to work &taxsaver scheme • numerous socialactivities & events • subsidised staffrestaurant • CSR opportunities,including trainee led Zambia ProjectNumber of vacancies 40+

Work experienceYes, four weeks in the summer

Locations• Republic of Ireland • NorthernIreland • Great Britain • Rest of world

Apply onlineTDP – October 2018SIP – February 2019 Please see our website for furtherdetails

Who we areArthur Cox is a leading Irish commercial law firm which offers services acrossevery facet of corporate and business law. For over 90 years, we have been at theforefront of developments in the legal profession in Ireland.

We are an “all-island” law firm with offices in Dublin and Belfast. The firm recentlymoved to new state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly offices, completewith a subsidised restaurant and an on-site gym. The firm also has offices inLondon, New York and Silicon Valley. Diversity & Inclusion is a key strategic priorityfor the firm and in 2017 the firm launched its LGBT+ network, Alliance.

What we offerTrainee Development ProgrammeOur Trainee Development Programme is a two and a half year programme andwe welcome applications from students and graduates of all disciplines. OurTrainee Development Programme does not leave the development of excellentlawyers to chance. At every stage of their training and development, our traineesare encouraged to push their boundaries and to get involved in work of thehighest calibre in an environment designed to support their professional growthand development. They have the opportunity to work in five different practicegroups and to complete a rotation in each of our four major practice fields:Corporate, Finance, Litigation and Property. Arthur Cox trainees also have theopportunity to do a rotation in our London office.

Our trainees are an integral part of our legal team. Our open-door culture meansthat questions and queries are encouraged. The majority of our trainees sharean office with a partner.

Summer Internship ProgrammeThe Arthur Cox Summer Intern Programme is a four-week long programme. It isdesigned to give those who are interested in a career practising law a realintroduction to life in a large commercial law firm. It helps our interns to identifya career which will challenge and fulfil them. It helps us to identify futurecolleagues.

Summer interns can choose between our June or August programme. It is a paidinternship, and this reflects the fact that we expect interns to make a valuablecontribution to the team to which they are assigned. We accept applications forour Summer Intern Programme from students and graduates of all disciplines.

AccelerateAccelerate is an information and networking event for first year students. It isdesigned specifically to give students an insight into what it is like to work in aleading law firm. We accept applications from first year students of all disciplines– including law, business, science and arts. You do not need to be a law student toapply! For more information and application dates please see our website.

2018

best internship programme<50 intake

NOMINATED


31

#MyGraduateLifeWhy should I choose PwC?It’s a place to grow and make a differenceFrom the very start you’ll be working on client sites, learning from your team,sharing your unique perspective and making a difference. The work you do willbe as varied and interesting as the clients you’ll work with. You can expect towork with the biggest brands in Irish and international business, building strongrelationships and getting the chance to learn from the best.

Our graduate programme is the ideal launching pad for your career. Fromgaining a professional qualification to international secondment opportunities;we offer continuous learning opportunities to accelerate your professionalgrowth. Your progress will be rewarded with both salary and grade progression.

It’s full of opportunities for people like meThere are no two career paths the same at PwC but one thing that defines all ofthem is choice. You’ll get the opportunity to choose the area you would like towork in.

You can build on your own unique strengths, or choose to stretch yourself in acompletely new field. We want your individual talent to shine wherever youdecide you can add the most value.

Whichever area you choose to work in, you'll work with people with differentdegrees, from different backgrounds, with different skill-sets and different typesof expertise. Being yourself and lending your individuality to the mix is what willlead you – and us – to success.

It’s more than a place to workWe know that work is just one part of your graduate life but PwC is so muchmore than just a good career move. We want you to bring every aspect of yourpersonality to work in PwC.

We won’t lie to you, we expect you to work hard and meet your deadlines. But inturn, we allow you to build up your overtime and use it to take time off.

You’ll be starting alongside 300 other graduates in the exact same boat as you.You’ll learn from each other as much as you’ll learn from us, and make some life-long friends along the way.

What are our graduate opportunities? We have graduate positions available in Assurance, Risk assurance, Tax,Consulting and Deals. We choose the best people from a wide range ofbackgrounds and degree disciplines who are in line to achieve a minimum of a2.1 degree.

Join gradireland 2018’s Most Popular Graduate Employer in Accounting &Professional Services – as voted by students!

Apply To apply online or for further details, visit our graduate websitewww.pwc.ie/graduate

PwC


ContactGraduate Recruitment TeamTel +353 (0)1 792 8550 Email [email protected] www.pwc.ie/mygraduatelife Social mediatwitter.com/pwcirl_careersfacebook.com/pwcirelandcareersyoutube.com/pwcirelandlinkedin.com/company/pwc-irelandsnapchat.com/add/pwc_ireland

JobsType of work• Banking and finance • Commerciallaw • Corporate law • Criminal law • Dispute resolution • Employmentand pensions • EU and competition • Family law • Insolvency/recovery • Insurance • Intellectual property • Litigation • Real estate/property • TaxSalary Competitive package worthover €31,000Benefits22 days annual leave, increasing withpromotion • Flexible Friday – 3pmfinish during the summer and bankholiday week-ends • Paid overtime ortime off in lieu of overtime • Lifeassurance & PwC pension plan • 24hour on-site gym & fitness classes • Holistic & beauty therapies • Subsidised healthcare insurance • Optional extra Christmas leave days• Wedding leave and gratuity • Paid maternity leave & new parentleave • Smarter travel optionsNumber of vacancies Over 300Degrees soughtAll degree disciplinesWork experience YesDuration Flexible per individualrequirements

Locations• Republic of Ireland

ApplyOnlineClosing dateDependent on position

2018

WINNER

accountancy/professionalservices

2018

best internship programme>50 intake

SILVER


32

Who we areWilliam Fry is a leader in the legal profession in Ireland with a long-standingreputation for innovative advice and superior client service. As a top-tier firmwhose clients include the world’s most successful and well known companiesacross a wide range of industry sectors, William Fry will provide you with thehands-on legal experience and training that will get your career off to the bestpossible start.

Our Dublin headquarters are based in superb modern offices in the southDocklands known as ‘Silicon Docks’. The building provides our staff with apositive and bright workspace with excellent facilities including a subsidisedrestaurant and Barista service, and an on-site gym with free membership,including access to a personal trainer and regular gym and yoga classes areavailable to all staff.

What we doOur client-focused service combines technical excellence with commercialawareness and a practical, constructive approach to business issues. We are oneof Ireland’s premier law firms, ranked in the top tier by legal marketcommentators such as Chambers Global and the Legal 500. We have offices inDublin, London, New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, demonstrating ourongoing commitment to the needs of our international clients. Our capability isenhanced by our alliance with Tughans, Northern Ireland’s largest law firm,through which we provide an all-island solution.

William Fry is the Irish member firm of Taxand, the only independent (non-audit), multi-disciplinary global tax practice in Ireland. With more than 400 TaxPartners and over 2,000 advisors in over 50 countries, Taxand is the world’slargest organisation of tax advisors to multinational businesses.

Our open-door approach fosters learning and encourages and rewards initiative.Drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds and academic disciplines, ourpeople welcome new ideas and want to make a difference – both in our work forclients and through our involvement in charitable, community andenvironmental initiatives. William Fry is proud to be ranked as the 5th MostDiverse Law Firm in Europe by ‘The Lawyer 100, 2018’.

The Trainee experienceOur success depends on our ability to attract, nurture and retain talented peoplewho understand client requirements and can provide a high-quality legalservice. We choose the best people from a wide range of backgrounds. We arelooking for graduates who are bright and academically able, who can both seethe big picture and pay attention to detail, who have excellent communication,interpersonal and analytical skills, and who will thrive in a fast-paced, dynamicand challenging team environment.

As a William Fry Trainee, you will benefit from a structured programme whichprovides opportunities to:

• Build technical legal knowledge and gain hands-on experience on real dealsand cases.

• Work in a number of our departments to help you decide which area of ourLaw or Tax practice suits you best on qualification.

• Gain first-hand commercial insight through secondments to clientorganisations.

Become part of our futureFor further information and to hear and view some of our current trainees’experiences, please visit our dedicated trainee websitewww.williamfry.com/trainees

William Fry


ContactSusan Wyer, Trainee & InternProgramme Manager2 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, D02 A342, IrelandTel +353 1 639 5000Email [email protected] www.williamfry.com/traineesSocial media facebook.com/williamfrytrainees twitter.com/WilliamFryLawlinkedin.com/company/william-fryinstagram.com/williamfrylaw

JobsType of work• Asset Finance & Leasing • AssetManagement & Investment Funds • Banking & Financial Services• Company Secretarial • Competition& Regulation • Corporate • Employment & Benefits • Energy &Natural Resources • Environment &Planning • Foreign Direct Investment• Healthcare & Life Sciences• Insolvency & Corporate Recovery• Insurance & Reinsurance• Intellectual Property • Litigation &Dispute Resolution • Media• Mergers & Acquisitions • Projects &Construction • Real Estate / Property •Tax • Technology • Telecoms

Work experienceWork experience YesDuration 1–8 months

Locations• Republic of Ireland • NorthernIreland • Great Britain • Rest of world

Apply• OnlineClosing date1pm on Monday 15 October 2018

To be the best, you need to train with the best.

Our Trainee Solicitor Programme

We invest in your on-going development as a lawyer, helping you to reach your

Be tomorrow’s leading lawyer

Most popular graduate recruiter in law for 7 years

Awards 2018

DUBLIN / BELFAST / LONDON / NEW YORK / SAN FRANCISCO / PALO ALTO www.algoodbody.com

/ALGtrainees

@ALG_LawStart

algoodbody

@algoodbody

www.arthurcox.com/trainee

DUBLIN • BELFAST • LONDON • NEW YORK • SIL ICON VALLEY

APPLICATIONS OPEN:

TRAINEE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - SEPTEMBER 2018

SUMMER INTERN PROGRAMME - JANUARY 2019

To learn more, contact:

At Arthur Cox we are looking for ambitious thinkers who want to be challenged from the start. Our trainees are the future of the firm and our Trainee Development Programme is designed to give you the professional training and development you need to become an expert lawyer. To find out more about our Summer Intern Programme and Trainee Development Programme, visit www.arthurcox.com/trainee.

Ruth Pollard Trainee Development Programme Manager [email protected]

ArthurCoxTraineeProgramme

@ACoxTrainees

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