The Law Society is holding an information and networking event for displaced Ukrainian lawyers next week.

The free event takes place on Tuesday 28 November (2pm to 6pm) in partnership with Ukraine Ireland Legal Alliance (UILA), a group that aims to provide a platform for the Irish legal community’s response to the invasion of Ukraine.

It will provide a chance to hear from Ukrainian colleagues who have been working in Ireland, as well as the challenges they have encountered and overcome with the support of colleagues in the Irish legal profession.

Attendees at the Green Hall Lecture Theatre in Blackhall Place will be welcomed by the Law Society's President Barry MacCarthy, director general Mark Garrett, and UILA barrister Anna Bazarchina.

Pathways

The first panel discussion will focus on pathways to becoming a lawyer in Ireland, foreign-solicitor registration, qualification transfer, and legal-education options for Ukrainian lawyers in Ireland.

Speakers include:

• Alina Kuksenko (associate, Arthur Cox),
• Yulia Borovyk (paralegal, A&L Goodbody undertaking FE1),
• Roman Khorolskyi (assistant solicitor undertaking FE1), and
• Mykola Skvortsov (associate, Arthur Cox).

A second session will focus on practising as a Ukrainian lawyer in Ireland, covering topics such as overcoming cultural differences, language proficiency, and practice successes and challenges.

The participants in this section are:

• Marta Halabala (former foreign-registered solicitor at Arthur Cox, now counsel at Asters in Ukraine),
• Oksana Gureshidze (accredited mediator),
• Kateryna Tarasenko (Matheson),
• Karina Khusainova (senior legal advisor, A&L Goodbody),
• Kateryna Andarak (foreign-registered solicitor, Arthur Cox), and
• Pavlo Bogachenko (senior associate, DLA Piper).

Supporting initiatives

The final part of the event will be a discussion on the supportive initiatives available for Ukrainian lawyers in Ireland.

The speakers in this discussion will be:

• Anna Bazarchina (barrister, UILA, chair, Association of Ukrainian Lawyers in Ireland, and lead national Ukrainian Bar Association representative in Ireland),
• Éamonn Conlon SC (UILA),
• Artem Nedostup (Ukrainian Action in Ireland),
• Anna Krys (United for Changes), and
• Carolann Minnock (of counsel, Arthur Cox).