A 20 June fundraising seminar at Blackhall Place will yield CPD regulatory points, as well as supporting a very worthy charitable cause.

‘GDPR and New Business Models for Solicitors’ is the chosen topic for this Law Society Finuas Skillnet seminar, which takes place from 2pm-5.30pm at the law school.

The €150 fee goes directly to Cycle4CrohnsColitis, an initiative by Law Society staff member Attracta O’Regan, supported by Beaumont Hospital Foundation and Law Society Finuas Skillnet.

Every day, at least two people in Ireland are diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease.

World IBD Day falls on 20 May this year.

Diagnosed

Solicitor and legal educator Attracta O’Regan is head of Law Society Professional Training.

She was enjoying a busy, fulfilling life when she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in February 2016, a disease that had a devastating effect on her quality of life.

With expert medical care, Attracta has now fought her way back to a normal, healthy life, while coping with the ongoing effects of the disease.

Now, she wants to give something back to the extraordinary health professionals who have helped her regain her strength.

Goal

To support the goal of establishing an IBD fellowship, which will cost €70,000 per annum to run, Attracta and her husband Ultan will undertake a fundraising 700-km cycle from Paris to Nice over six days this September.

Attracta’s fundraising drive can be followed using the hashtag #Cycle4CrohnsColitis.

The 20 June seminar will examine how law firms and their clients should handle the increasing number of subject access requests that have resulted from the May 2018 implementation of GDPR.

Requests for data may come from clients, other law firms, employees or third parties.

Disruption

Law firms need to deal with these access requests efficiently and lawfully, with minimum disruption to the work of the practice.

They also need to be in a position to advise their clients on how best to access requests.

Guidance

This practical seminar will offer guidance on legislative provisions of GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and the parameters of access requests, including exemptions and establishing when a request is “manifestly unfounded or excessive”.

The seminar will also examine how access requests impact on the solicitor’s lien.

Business models

Also on the agenda are new business models for solicitors, in light of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. The new regime radically alters available practice structures, and this practical session will give a step-by-step guide in how to establish, register, operate and function within the new regulations.

Seminar speakers include consultant gastroenterologist Dr Aoibhlinn O’Toole, McCann FitzGerald partner Paul Lavery, Reddy Charlton partner Paul Keane, and Simon Treanor of the Law Society.

The seminar can be booked online at www.lawsociety.ie.