The Director General and six directors manage the day-to-day running of the Law Society.
Director General
The Director General is the Chief Executive of the Law Society with all of the powers and responsibilities usually vested in a Chief Executive. In addition, the Director General is the Secretary of the Law Society with a number of further powers and responsibilities provided under the Solicitors Acts 1954 to 2008.
The Director General’s role is to manage the organisation and the people in it. He works very closely with the organisation's Directors, serving as the primary link between the Council, to which he is the chief policy adviser, and the staff.
The Director General works very closely with the President and both will frequently represent the Law Society at meetings throughout Ireland of local Bar Associations and also at international meetings of their counterparts from other countries. Mark Garrett is the current Director General. He took up office in January 2022.
The Director General frequently acts as spokesperson for the Law Society in the media and represents the Law Society before Dail Committees and as a Society nominee on Ministerial Working Groups.
Directors and departments
This department focuses on the Law Society’s policy & public affairs functions, provides support for the President, Director General and Council and interacts with Government Departments, policy-makers and other professional bodies. It co-ordinates lobbying and law reform agenda, as well as the work of the Committees.
Teri Kelly is the Director of Representation and Member Services.
The Department aims to further the policies set by Council in order to serve and represent the solicitors’ profession. The Law Society’s communication function is furthered primarily by the website, Gazette, eZine, and the press office. We serve our members through Law Society Psychological Services, Member Services and the Library. We serve a vital information function for the profession. Including through publication of the Law Directory and the Law Society’s Annual Report.
TP Kennedy is the Director of Education.
The department runs courses for those seeking to become solicitors ("trainees") and for qualified solicitors through its Law School in Dublin. It runs Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and post-qualification diploma and certificate courses for solicitors. The Education Department also administers a number of external and course-related examinations.
Niall Connors is the Director of Regulation
Located in George's Court, Dublin, this department is responsible for monitoring compliance by practising solicitors with their statutory obligations and administering grant applications from the Compensation Fund. A dedicated section investigates complaints received up to 7 October 2019 from clients, the public and the profession, while the litigation section represents the Law Society in proceedings before the Disciplinary Tribunal and the courts. The department also administers the issue of annual practising certificates to solicitors and the closure of solicitors' practices.
Gillian Cregan is the Director of Finance and Operations.
The department's primary responsibilities include Accounts, Information Technology, Facilities and the Commercial activities of the Law Society. The Accounts function works closely with the Finance Committee to manage its financial affairs, including its property and investments. The IT section manages the databases covering members and students and Local Area Networks supporting the Law Society's staff at all locations. The Facilities section looks after the Law Society's premises at Blackhall Place and George's Court. The main commercial services provided are the Four Courts consultation rooms, the sale of publications and the hiring of Blackhall Place facilities. To view the Accounts of the Law Society of Ireland, see Annual Reports.
Barbara Carroll is the Director of Human Resources.
The Human Resources Department plays a pivotal role in providing a positive, fair, and open working environment, underpinned by the right structures and skills for our colleagues, so they can make a difference to the interests of our members, students, and the wider public.