The Irish solicitors' profession is larger, more diverse, and more geographically uneven than at any point in its recent history. At the close of 2025, there were 12,961 practising solicitors - double the number in 2000.
Snapshot of the Solicitors’ Profession 2025
A profession doubled in 25 years, a record trainee intake - larger, more diverse, and geographically uneven.
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The next generation
The intake into the profession is keeping pace: 581 trainees commenced the Professional Practice Course (PPC) this year, the highest cohort in 17 years, with almost one in five choosing the flexible hybrid route introduced to broaden access. Further progress in this area will be made with the introduction of the Modular PPC in December 2026, developed to allow trainee solicitors to complete their training over a longer timeframe to best suit their needs.
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Continuing the trend in the profession, women make up the majority of new trainee solicitors (476 of 581 trainees. The Law Society’s new solicitor apprenticeship model - a new route open to school leavers and legal executives - is designed to open up access to a career as a solicitor to everyone. Alongside this, the Law Society's Access Scholarship Programme marks 25 years of reducing socio-economic barriers, with 212 individuals currently participating.
Rise of in-house
More than a quarter (27%) of practising solicitors now work in-house with 2,911 in the private sector and 531 in State and public bodies. This reflects a structural shift away from the traditional dominance of private practice. Among the country's largest firms, trainee intake has surged at the top end Arthur Cox LLP grew its 2025 intake to 63 (from 45) and Matheson LLP to 56 (from 47), reflecting strong demand for talent in commercial practice.
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Geographic distribution
However, the snapshot report also tells a stark geographical story. 479 of the 581 trainee contracts in 2025 were based in Dublin. The remaining 102 are spread across just 24 of Ireland's 26 counties Kilkenny, Longford, and Laois had no trainee contracts, and counties like Carlow, Monaghan, Wexford, and Leitrim had just one each.
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The picture among practising solicitors is similar: 8,827 are based in Dublin, with Cork (965), Galway (388), and Limerick (327) following at a distance. Across much of rural Ireland - Leitrim (40), Longford (42), Monaghan (47), Laois (39) - solicitor numbers remain very low relative to population. These are the conditions in which legal deserts take hold. Safeguarding access to community-based legal services is a priority for the Law Society, and essential for access to justice.
Opening doors
This is what the Small Practice Traineeship Grant is designed to address - supporting small and rural firms to take on trainees in the communities that need them most. 32 grants have been issued since its introduction in 2020. Combined with the Access Scholarship, early schools outreach, the hybrid PPC, and the forthcoming apprenticeship route, it forms part of a broader effort to ensure that the profession's growth is not only sustained but more evenly accessible.
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Read the report
For even more insight on the changing Irish solicitors' profession, download the full Snapshot of the Solicitors’ Profession report.
