Aim and Objectives
The Legal Research Skills Workshops are aimed at practitioners and focus on solving clients’ problems. An overview of both paper-based and electronic resources will be followed by practical workshops whereby delegates carry out systematic and comprehensive research. Delegates will leave with skills to enable them analyse clients’ instructions to identify the issues and ultimately present the results of their research in a clear and practical format.  The Course is iPad-based with research carried out on both iPads and PCs.  

Topics to be covered include

• Introduction to legal research
• Overview of internet resources – Acts, SIs and Case Law
• Introduction to researching European Law
• Practical  IT/iPad-based Workshop
• Strategies for solving practical legal problems
• Research Record Workshop

Please note: 
Access to an iPad is essential for participation in this programme. Delegates are required to attend both modules

Speakers 

John Furlong, Knowledge Management consultant, Law Society Technology Committee member, Dublin
John has over 25 years of experience in Irish legal research and in the development of legal resource and knowledge solutions. He is a solicitor by profession and has worked in senior positions in two of Ireland's leading law firms. John has acted as visiting lecturer in legal research and European legal research at the Law School of the Law Society of Ireland for many years. He has written regularly on the topic of Irish legal resources and has presented on this topic at international conferences in Canada, the United States and the UK. He is a long time member and former chair of the Technology Committee of the Law Society of Ireland and has served as an Irish delegate to the CCBE on legal technology matters. John was the first Irish person to chair the British & Irish Association of Law Librarians and was active on the Association's Conference Committee for many years. Specialties are Legal Research, Irish Legal System, Knowledge Management, and Legal Education.

Dr Rachael Hession, Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland 
Dr Hession is a course manager on the Law Society’s Professional Practice Courses and is a programme manager with Law Society Professional Training. She lectures and tutors on the PPC. She is co-editor and co-author of the Law Society Complex Conveyancing Manual and is co-author of the Law Society Capital Taxation for Solicitors Manual and Conveyancing Manual.  She was previously in practice with Ronan Daly Jermyn solicitors and Henry P.F. Donegan solicitors. She is an associate of the ITI and a member of STEP.  She holds a MA in Higher Education, Professional Legal Education and Skills and a Doctorate in Education. Her thesis was entitled “Professionalism – can you teach it?”

Mary Upton, MA, BCL (Hons), PG Dip, PG Cert, Solicitor, Dublin
Mary Upton qualified as a solicitor in 1990. Her professional work has focused mainly in the areas of conveyancing and probate practice and she is a member of STEP.  She has worked in the Law Society’s Law School for over 20 years as a lecturer, tutor and internal examiner on the Professional Practice Course I and the Essentials in Legal Practice Course.  Mary holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Learning, Teaching and Assessment and a Masters Degree in Higher Education, Professional Legal Education and Skills.

Alma Clissmann, Manager, Law Reform Commission, Dublin
Alma graduated from TCD and the Europa College, Bruges.  She worked for some years in private practice and then in business with databases and other IT applications.  She joined the Law Society in 2000 and moved from there to the Law Reform Commission, where she is manager of the Access to Legislation programme.  In this role she is responsible for the Legislation Directory, Revised Acts and the Classified List of Legislation.

How to Book:

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• For full programme details download the Brochure
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