The Law Society of Ireland’s Law School has been recognised as an Apple Distinguished School for the third time, one of only six educational institutions in Ireland to achieve this status to date.

As an Apple Distinguished School for 2021-2024, the Law School is recognised as a centre of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence that demonstrates a vision for learning with technology.

The Law School began a journey to innovate in legal education with the iPad Programme in 2013.

In 2016, the Law Society became the first professional educator in Europe to receive the Apple award.

TP Kennedy (Director of Education at the Law Society of Ireland, small picture) said: “This internationally acclaimed achievement is the culmination of an almost decade-long drive to innovate the way we deliver best-in-class legal education to future generations of solicitors in Ireland.”

Transforming legal education

Trainee solicitors receive an iPad when they begin their two-year full-time professional training programme, Professional Practice Course (PPC), alongside practical training in the use of Apple technology. There is also regular training to stay up to date with new developments.

“Integration of Apple products and apps into every aspect of the student experience has allowed us to adapt to the changing nature of education pre-COVID and beyond,” Mr Kennedy said.

“Throughout the pandemic, our trainee solicitors always have a single device, through which they can participate in group tutorials, deliver presentations, view video lectures, and complete exams securely,” he explained.

Mr Kennedy added that, since 2019, the PPC Hybrid has transformed the way aspiring solicitors can undertake their training.

“Given its flexible, blended learning design, with both online and occasional on-campus sessions, PPC Hybrid is popular with those living outside of Dublin,” he said, describing the iPad as having been “instrumental” to its success.

“Our strategic use of technology does more than mimic standard lecture delivery. We developed a programme that promotes engagement and community by enabling trainee solicitors to have an active viewing experience,” Mr Kennedy continued.

“Through this, we hope to inspire our trainees with skills required by solicitors practising in the 21st century – including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and digital skills,” he added.

Wellbeing through technology

The Society is committed to promoting the development of mental health and wellbeing skills for solicitors from ‘cradle to grave’ by offering an innovative psychological programme, unique to Irish legal training, which begins on day one of the PPC.

The Shrink Me programme is accompanied by free Time Concentrated Therapy, a form of short-term therapy, developed for the Law School, that supports trainees as they navigate the complexity of professional training.

Both are designed to prepare trainees for the demands of working as a solicitor, and to equip them with the psychological and emotional resilience required to practice safely into the future.

“At an early stage of the pandemic, our team of student counsellors were upskilled to provide safe and confidential online Time Concentrated Therapy via Zoom on their personal iPads,” explained Mr Kennedy.

Approximately 2,500 virtual counselling sessions have been taken up since the pandemic began, and a new live online series of wellbeing talks was also produced as part of the Shrink Me training module.