The Law Society has just published its annual report for 2017/2018 which shows that a record 10,446 solicitors now have practising certificates in Ireland.

Solicitor complaints are at historic lows, the annual report shows, and the Law Society has made a total of twenty-five submissions to government.

The report also reveals a female majority in the profession. The fact that 2018 marks the 40^th anniversary of the Law Society moving into its historic Blackhall Place headquarters also features.

The twenty-five formal policy and law submissions made by the Society to Government contain practical recommendations for policy and law reform across a range of disciplines including company law, childcare reform, criminal law and more.

Submission

This year’s Annual Report highlights the Society’s submission to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA). 

Produced by the Future of Solicitor Education Review Group, recommendations in this submission will shape the future of legal education and solicitor training in Ireland.

The Report also highlights events hosted by the Law Society in the past 12 months including charity fundraisers, the Calcutta Run and Spring Gala.

Professional persona

In his foreword Law Society President Michael Quinlan writes “Our professional persona requires us to be learned, competent, in control and unflappable; but, without the appropriate psychological and emotional support scaffolding, the very things that attracted us to professional life can lead to our undoing.

“We must internalise and prioritise the benefits of switching off and disconnecting from our work,” reiterating his presidential theme of self-care for legal practitioners.