Big wheels keep on turning

Far removed from the glamour of courtroom dramas, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office provides a vital, if often unsung, service. It delivers critical legal advice, litigation, and transactional services that keep the wheels of Government turning smoothly. James Corbett brings us inside the CSSO 

In the corridor outside the office of Ireland’s Chief State Solicitor, Maria Browne, hangs a painting of the first holder of the office, Michael Corrigan, amidst the ruins of his bombed-out home in Rathmines in 1923. 

Corrigan had previously advised Sinn Féin and the new Dáil government via his eponymous legal practice, but had left it months earlier to take up the role of Chief State Solicitor following the foundation of the Irish Free State. 

The decision brought consternation among the anti-treaty forces. The IRA ordered the bombing of his home, the aftermath of which is captured in Mick O’Dea’s 2022 painting. 

Browne, the ninth holder of the office, thankfully presides during calmer times, but the scene underscores the enduring importance and sensitivity of the Chief State Solicitor’s role in upholding the rule of law. 

Wheels within wheels 

At the heart of Ireland’s governmental machinery, for years quietly operating out of unprepossessing offices in the shadow of Dublin Castle (a relocation to a new single building in Smithfield will be completed by January 2026), the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO) provides a vital service as a constituent office of the Office of the Attorney General. 

The CSSO specialises exclusively in supporting the Irish Government and its central departments and offices. 

With five dedicated divisions – Administrative Law, Commercial and Employment Law, Constitutional and State Litigation, Justice, and State Property – the CSSO addresses the State’s most complex and pressing legal challenges. 

Its solicitors tackle everything from constitutional disputes to managing sensitive immigration cases, to overseeing significant property transactions and ensuring compliance with rigorous public-procurement laws. 

The CSSO has been in existence for over 100 years, but as Browne explains, “We have tended in the past not to draw attention to ourselves – so much so that many people may not even have been aware of our existence.” That is changing. 

“Obviously in the drive for talent, in order to attract those who may be interested in a career in public law, that had to change,” she says. 

“And so, over the last few years, we have been making a concerted effort to get out there and tell our story – not just to those training to be lawyers, but also to those currently in private practice who may be looking for a change.” 

What sets the CSSO apart from private law firms is its profound institutional memory and insider understanding of the workings of the Irish Government. 

With deep-rooted knowledge about every department and interdepartmental relationships, its advice doesn’t just address immediate issues – it anticipates future challenges and strategic goals. 

Deirdre Walsh, who runs the CSSO’s State Sales and Purchases Section, joined in 2019 after more than two decades in private practice. 

She describes a career in public law as “an opportunity to be part of a much bigger picture” and details a caseload that is of a breadth and significance beyond what a private law firm could ever undertake.

“The legal work undertaken for the CSSO’s clients is the space where law and politics meet,” says Walsh. “Agility and the ability to manage multiple agendas is a requirement. Legal advice can often be required under intense pressure during a crisis, such as the COVID pandemic.” 

A standout achievement in her CSSO career was her team’s role in the acquisition of the Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula for the National Parks and Wildlife Service. 

Spanning 743 hectares of breathtaking natural beauty, she describes the purchase as a once-in-a-generation conservation opportunity. The newly formed Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí – Ireland’s first marine national park – integrates recent acquisitions with existing protected sites. 

“Solicitors are part of something bigger than themselves, and there is no bigger stage for solicitors to practise their skills,” says Walsh. 

“While there are no financial bonuses on offer in the public sector, the rewards are different. As the work aligns with one’s own goals and values, this results in a very strong sense of job satisfaction and can also lead to a better work/life balance.”

Behind the wheel 

Gwen Considine runs the Office’s Public Procurement Law Section, which advises central Government departments on their public-procurement obligations. 

Her team advises on all aspects of public procurement, from initial planning and strategy to contract-award, and beyond. 

“For the public sector, successfully running complex or large procurement processes is of vital importance to their organisation,” she says. 

“Not only is it essential to delivering value for money to the taxpayer, but procurement is now also a tool for implementing Government policy, including job creation and energy efficiency.” 

The range of work undertaken by her team is eye-watering. 

Considine reels off a list of contracts that span critical ICT contracts that underpin the operation of the State, advices on the establishment of the new auto-enrolment savings scheme, passport-production services and border-control gates at airports, as well as key national infrastructure, such as road-safety cameras for An Garda Síochána and, most recently, advising on the purchase of a new Government jet. 

In recent years, her section has advised the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the critical procurement of accommodation centres and services for Ukrainian refugees and international-protection applicants: “I am particularly proud of this, because it perfectly demonstrates how our section can respond quickly and effectively in times of crisis, such as in response to the war in Ukraine. 

“It also highlights strong cross-office collaboration as we worked with other teams across our office, and how the delivery of accommodation for international-protection applicants aligns with the Government’s key priorities and its international obligations,” she says. 

Wheels of steel 

The CSSO has not taken on criminal casework in 25 years, when the Director of Public Prosecutions established the role of the Chief Prosecution Solicitor, although it does provide solicitor services to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). 

CAB was established in 1996 in the immediate aftermath of the gangland murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, whose death shocked the nation. 

The Criminal Assets Section (CAS) operates at the intersection of criminal, civil, and public law, working hand-in-glove with CAB to confront organised crime by denying and depriving individuals of the proceeds of criminal conduct. 

The legal team is currently led by Declan O’Reilly, who joined both the CSSO and CAS in 2002. 

“The work with CAB has been fantastically interesting but also hugely rewarding,” he reflects. “I have held many different roles within the CSSO – and indeed with CAB itself – and have acquired invaluable experience in areas such as European Arrest Warrants, mutual legal assistance, and EU law.” 

Solicitor Emma Griffin outlines the central focus of CAS: the recovery of proceeds of crime. “Our bread and butter is preparing High Court applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996,” she says. 

“These funds are then reinvested in community initiatives through the Community Safety Fund – programmes aimed at youth diversion, tackling reoffending, and enhancing community safety. It is gratifying to see our work support tangible societal benefits.” 

The team also represents CAB before the Tax Appeals Commission, in social-welfare overpayment cases, Revenue debt-recovery proceedings, and it handles all conveyancing related to CAB investigations. 

“We are intrinsically involved in negotiating and drafting complex settlement agreements on behalf of the bureau – work that requires not only legal acumen, but also commercial instinct,” explains Griffin. 

Big wheel 

The CSSO is underpinned by a strong public-service ethos, built around principles of integrity, impartiality, and accountability. 

Its commitment was underscored by the introduction by the Attorney General of the State Litigation Principles in 2023, which codify best practice in managing State legal affairs. 

“The State Litigation Principles matter because they set the standard – not only for our clients but also for us in the CSSO – as to how we should all behave when it comes to our approach to litigation, and our conduct of that litigation on the State’s behalf,” says Maria Browne. 

“By articulating best practice, the principles serve as a reminder of the standards of propriety, ethics, and integrity that we and our clients must seek to emulate when operating in this area.” 

Indeed, the principles have taken on increased significance given the increase in the number of cases involving litigants-in-person.  

As the seventh-largest legal office in Ireland in terms of practising solicitors, the CSSO offers legal services that rival those of top-tier private firms in quality and expertise. 

However, as Browne explains, “our public-sector status allows us to provide these services at a significantly lower cost to the taxpayer. The CSSO’s funding model eliminates the profit motive, focusing instead on delivering value through efficient and effective legal services.” 

Browne highlights the critical role that continuous learning plays in advancing the office’s work: “Aiming to be the best that we can be at our jobs demands that we ensure our legal staff remain at the cutting edge of developments in the law,” she says. 

“In the CSSO, we cover a wide variety of legal practice, including emerging areas of law. Enabling staff to upskill ensures that our organisation, as a whole, benefits from a culture of continuous learning and development.” 

Spinning wheel 

What makes the CSSO stand out as a workplace? For Browne, it comes down to purpose and values. 

“To work in the public service is to work for the common good. To that extent, one of the key features of our work is the sense of purpose that accompanies it,” she says. “Our solicitors are both lawyers and public servants at the same time, and so, more than anything, our work is values-driven. 

“As a civil-service office, we are not in a position to reward employees with bonuses or similar financial incentives, and so the work itself is often the real reward – its quality, depth, range and importance. Getting to work on cases that shape the law and projects that have real impact for the public at large mean that there is a unique sense of fulfilment in the work that we do.” 

Indeed, the examples highlighted in this article only scratch the surface of the scope of the CSSO’s work. 

The office’s five legal divisions handle an extraordinary range of legal matters that touch on virtually every aspect of Government operations. 

From representing Ireland at the Court of Justice of the EU, to managing extradition and European Arrest Warrant applications; from advising on data protection and GDPR compliance, to handling maritime law and the State’s foreshore rights; from supporting tribunals of inquiry, to providing legal services in sports law and rural-development programmes – the CSSO’s remit spans the full spectrum of modern public law. 

The office also plays a crucial role in employment law and equality litigation, constitutional challenges, planning and environmental law, competition and regulatory matters, and the ongoing management of the State’s extensive property portfolio. 

This diversity of specialist knowledge, combined with the ability to collaborate seamlessly across divisions, positions the CSSO as an indispensable pillar of Ireland’s legal infrastructure. 

Shoulder to the wheel 

Browne’s term as Chief State Solicitor was extended last year, and her ambitions for the office reflect both practical and aspirational goals. 

“A long-held ambition for the CSSO has been to bring together all our staff in the one location – for many years the main office has been split between two premises in Dublin 8,” she says. “That ambition is now becoming a reality and, by the commencement of 2026, we will have relocated to our new home in Smithfield Hall, Dublin 7.” 

The move will enable the office to equip staff to deliver an enhanced, digitally enabled legal service to clients in modern surroundings that support new ways of working. 

“Allied to that, continuous improvement in all things that align with our vision of being an outstanding public-law office is the objective – whether that be legal excellence, technological innovation, or cultural wellbeing,” says Browne. 

“To be the best that we can be – that is the ambition.” 

James Corbett is communications officer at the Chief State Solicitor’s Office.