• A major legal conference is taking place on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May in Carrick-on-Shannon.
• Over 160 local solicitors are expected to attend the event which is organised by the Law Society Finuas Skillnet in association with local bar associations.
• Cyber security, probate, conveyancing and more topics will be covered on the day.

Over 160 solicitors are to attend a major legal conference in the Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon today and tomorrow, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May.

The two-day annual conference is organised by the Law Society Finuas Skillnet in association with Leitrim Bar Association, Roscommon Bar Association and Sligo Bar Association and is an opportunity for solicitors in the west of Ireland to stay up to date on important practice changes such as cyber security, probate and conveyancing. 

Supporting smaller firms

In February 2019 the Law Society announced its Small Practice Support Project; a strategic plan to support and develop smaller firms in rural and urban Ireland. The report makes eleven strategic recommendations to assist sole practitioners and smaller practices to grow their businesses and achieve greater success for themselves, their staff and their local communities.

Smaller firms have unique characteristics; a sole practitioner, for example, is a business owner as well as a solicitor and must be adept at running a business as well as practising law. This Essential Practitioner Update 2019 is the first of a series of country-wide conferences to target these local solicitors and provide an opportunity to stay up-to-date with practice updates in 2019.

For more information on the Small Practice Support Project, see: Small practices support project.

Local focus

Solicitor Kieran Ryan, of Kelly Ryan Solicitors, Manorhamilton, Leitrim is President of the Leitrim Bar Association and is speaking at the event.

“A large number of practising solicitors in the west of Ireland work as sole traders or in smaller firms; they are vital to the sustainability and success of our communities and provide effective legal solutions to their clients in all of life’s major milestones,” said Mr Ryan

“This conference is an opportunity for our local solicitors to stay up-to-date on practice changes in the profession across a range of topics, including cyber security, probate and conveyancing.”

“If you are reviewing your business’s data protection processes, making a will, or buying or selling a house, it is more than likely that you are working with a solicitor who works in a small firm or as a sole practitioner,” he said.

“The Law Society and Bar Associations are delighted to have the resources to support and offer this important up-skilling event for our local solicitors.”

Cyber security

“One of the key topics of the conference is cyber security. Every business, organisation and volunteer group in the west of Ireland needs to be aware of their cyber security responsibilities, including solicitors,” said Mr Ryan.

“Cyber security is the protection of computer systems from theft or damage,” he said. “There are new cybercrime risks all the time from which solicitors must protect themselves, their clients and their businesses from.

“Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of cybercrime may also need to report it under the GDPR rules. GDPR is still a relatively new concept and we must stay vigilant.”

“It is important that solicitors, all organisations, groups and businesses put protections in place to help avoid being a target of cybercrime and to avoid data breaches. Organisations should regularly review their cyber security processes and protections.”

“If you think you have been a target of cybercrime or there has been a data breach, talk to your solicitor at the earliest opportunity for advice,” Mr Ryan advised.

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