Please Note this Progamme is now fully booked. If you wish to be added to a waiting list should a spot become available please email LSFS@lawsociety.ie

Skills Connect - Construction Law – Employment Activation Programme

This programme comprises of ten online, on-demand modules, five virtual workshops and private study. It also includes a twenty-week work placement.

Construction law is an area of legal practice that is experiencing increased growth in the current environment.

This legal service demand is anticipated to continue to increase. To address this skills demand and to provide opportunities for solicitors who wish to return to the workforce or are unemployed, Law Society Finuas Skillnet has designed this programme in partnership with Skillnet Ireland.

To assess if you are eligible to participate in this programme please click here .

To apply to provide a work placement for one of our Skills Connect graduates please click here .

A pre-condition to eligibility for this programme is that you must be on the Law Society of Ireland roll of solicitors. (You need not hold a current practicing certificate).

Programme Curriculum.

Week 1

Day 1, 14 June

10.00am – 11.00am Welcome, Introduction and Programme Overview - Virtual workshop (Law Society Finuas Skillnet Team)

11.00am – 1.00pm Career skills training: drafting CVs and job application cover letter – Virtual workshop (TBC)

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Day 2, 15 June

Module 1

Introduction to the law of obligations – Part 1: Contract law overview

As a consequence of participating in this module you will be able to:

Understand the key elements of contract law that impact on construction law projects.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 3, 16 June

Module 2

Introduction to the law of obligations - Part 2: Tort law overview

As a consequence of participating in this module you will be able to:

Understand the key elements of tort law that impact on construction law projects.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 4, 17 June

Module 3

Typical construction project procurement / standard form contracts

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand:

·         Considerations when procuring a construction project

·         Introduction to core parties

·         Common methods of construction project procurement

·         Why use a standard form contract

·         Types of standard form contracts in use in Ireland

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 5, 18 June

Module 4

Overview of the RIAI Building Agreement

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand:

·         Introduction to the RIAI building contract

·         Key provisions and typical amendments including:

·         Change of law

·         Role of the contract administrator

·         Certification process

·         Variations and extensions of time

·         Practical completion and defects liability

·         Liquidation damages

·         Insurances

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Week 2

Day 1, 21 June

10.00am – 11.00am Construction Law clinic with construction law solicitor expert – Virtual workshop (Law Society Finuas Skillnet Team & Construction Law Expert)

11.10am – 1.00pm Career skills training: interviewing techniques and skills – Virtual workshop (TBC)

Day 2, 22 June

Module 5

Defects

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand:

·         ‘Snagging’ and patent defects v latent defects

·         Separate liability periods under contract and tort

·         Defects in design v defects in workmanship and both

·         What to consider when defects/issues arise.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 3, 23 June

Module 6

Statutory Requirements: Duties and Obligations

As a consequence of participating in this module you will be able to examine statutory regimes which impact construction projects including:

·         Building regulations and health and safety requirements

·         Roles and responsibilities of various statutory appointees

·         Sectoral employment orders.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 4, 24 June

Module 7

Development Finance & Project Security

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand:

·         Introduction to development finance – is a project bankable?

·         Management of time and cost

·         Contractor solvency

·         Collateral warranties/duty of care agreements

·         Insurances, bonds and guarantees

·         The role of the project monitor.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 5, 25 June

Module 8

Dispute Resolution: Mediation/ Conciliation & Arbitration

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand the role of alternative dispute resolution in resolving construction law disputes.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Week 3

Day 1, 28 June

10.00am – 11.00am Construction Law clinic with construction law solicitor expert – Virtual workshop (Law Society Finuas Skillnet Team and Construction Law Expert)

11.10am –1.00pm Career skills training: interviewing techniques and skills – Virtual workshop (TBC)

Module 9

Dispute Resolution: The Construction Contracts Act 2013 and Adjudication

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand the implications of the provisions of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 from an adjudication perspective.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 2, 29 June

Module 10

Expert Evidence & Procedure

As a consequence of participating in this module you will understand the procedural and evidential matters involved in dealing with construction litigation.

(Self-directed eLearning and self-directed study)

Day 3, 30 June

10.00am – 11.00am Construction Law clinic with construction law expert solicitor and Programme close-down – Virtual workshop (Law Society Finuas Skillnet Team and Construction Law Expert)

Week 4

5 – 9 July

Interviews for job placement   

Week 5

12 July onwards

Commence job placement for 20 weeks  


Programme Team

Attracta O’Regan, Head, Law Society Professional Training and Finuas Skillnet

Katherine Kane, Education Executive, Law Society Professional Training and Finuas Skillnet

Shane Farrell, Law Society Career Support Services Executive


Martin Cooney, Partner, Byrne Wallace Solicitors, Dublin

Martin’s areas of expertise are construction law, commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Previously, he was a partner at Smyth & Sons in Drogheda and worked as a solicitor in the legal department of the National Asset Management Agency advising on residential development and loan sales. Before that he worked as an Associate in the Construction and Engineering Group in Arthur Cox where he advised on all aspects of construction law in both contentious and non-contentious matters. 

Martin has experience advising on standard form contracts (including RIAI, Public Works, NEC and FIDIC) and has also advised on bespoke contracts for construction projects.  He is experienced in various forms of alternative dispute resolution having represented employers, consultants and contractors in mediations, conciliations, adjudications and expert determinations. He has a Masters in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from King’s College London and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also experienced in traditional litigation having represented clients at all court levels, including the Commercial Court.

Martin is past Chair of the Law Society’s EU & International Affairs Committee, has represented the Law Society at the CCBE and is a member of the US -Ireland Alliance. He acts as a contributor on the European Law, Negotiation Skills, Client Consultation and Professional Practice and Conduct Modules of the Law Society’s Professional Practice Course. He has acted as a judge of both the National and International Legal Negotiation Skills competitions and provides negotiation skills training to both public and private organisations.

Mary Liz Mahony, Counsel, Dentons Ireland

Mary Liz is Counsel in the Real Estate and Construction practice in Dentons and has specialised in construction law for over 10 years.  Prior to joining Dentons, Mary Liz trained and worked as a senior associate in the Infrastructure, Construction and Utilities team of a Top 5 Commercial Law Firm.

Mary Liz operates a full-service practice which encompasses complex transactional matters (across a range of sectors including commercial development, technology, energy, pharmaceutical and leisure) as well as advising regularly on issues arising during construction, claims management and dispute resolution.  On the contentious side, she has experience in all dispute resolution forums (including both high court and commercial court proceedings, arbitration, mediation and statutory adjudication). 
 Mary Liz has a specific interest in regulatory change which affects the construction industry and has spoken on and published a number of articles in relation to the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the Construction Contracts Act and more recently, Sectoral Employment Orders. Mary Liz is also interested in the impact of business information modelling (BIM) on the industry. Mary Liz is a member of the Society of Construction Law and the Chairperson of the Astra Committee, Dublin.

IMPORTANT

·       For full programme details download the Brochure

           *      Download our application form here

·         Solicitors may now complete the entire 2021 CPD requirement of 20 hours online. For more information see www.lawsociety.ie/CPDscheme

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·         If you have queries, contact a member of the team on: Finuasskillnet@lawsociety.ie