Legal Career

Kappar

Not sure if this should go here so feel free to move it.

I'm thinking of doing a law degree in TCD next year and I would like to ask some questions.

Upon being awarded a degree in Law what are my options?

If I go to the Law Society to try and become a Solicitor I will need to do two exams in Irish however I a very very weak at Irish, I do Foundation level in the LC, is there any way around this can I go to a different state and qualify there and then return and take a test to convert or something?

Is there a similar rule for Barristers? If after my degree I was to get in to the King's Inns would I have to do Irish?

Also is there any other advice people can offer?

Jimi-Spandex

The standard of irish actually needed to pass the law society* exams isn't all that high. You should easily be able to learn slowly over the four years in tcd.

If you're willing and consider yourself able to study law then learning some irish is the least of your troubles. Believe me, if you can study tort and contract, you can study irish.


*The law society irish exam is fairly straight forward. One part is a translation and the other a short essay. Blackhall Place Irish Syllabus There are prepartory courses that you can do for 1st and 2nd Irish exams. The second irish exam is fairly similar. There's an oral exam both times.

There is not an irish requirement for barristers exams.

I suggest you go to both Kings Inns andBlack Hall Place websites

Kappar

The standard of Irish actually needed to pass the law society* exams isn't all that high. You should easily be able to learn slowly over the four years in TCD.

You should see my standard of Irish I'm crap I done Foundation level Irish and got a D2 for the LC and I thought I'd never have to use it again.

If you're willing and consider yourself able to study law then learning some Irish is the least of your troubles. Believe me, if you can study tort and contract, you can study Irish.

There lyes the problem I want to study Law, I'm interested in it, but I have no interest in an unpragmatic language like Irish.

*The law society Irish exam is fairly straight forward. One part is a translation and the other a short essay. Blackhall Place Irish Syllabus There are prepartory courses that you can do for 1st and 2nd Irish exams. The second Irish exam is fairly similar. There's an oral exam both times.

I'm going to try and do it is there a limit on how many times you can do it? It's only held twice a year which is a shame. At this stage I know little Irish so i will need a total learn off and spit put kind of course. Do you know what a passing grade is?

Kappar

Apparenly Barristers need Irish as well

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA16Y1929S3.html

Just not sure how one is tested, No metion of it on the King's Inns' website.

Mara

I'm just going to ask my questions in here because you seem to know a lot about the blackhall requirements and I'm interested in studying to become a solicitor. I'm not trying to hijack the thread. I'm going to order some of the past papers for the Irish exam, but that isn't something that I'm very worried about. However, I'd be interested in finding out what they ask at the oral exam - do they ask law related questions? I've studied arts and worked for the last year, and I'm thinking of doing a conversion course, and was hoping to get the irish exam out of the way this year so that I wouldn't have to worry about it later. However, as I won't have studied law by January, I wouldn't feel comfortable answering questions about it - any advice?

Qs 2 As I said I'm hoping to do the conversion course, but I've been told anyone can sit the FE1 exams, and I'm thinking of doing the first four in april/oct of next year - would this be impossible without studying in college? I'm going to be sitting in on the relevant LLB lectures (friends doing it etc.) but I'm also looking into doing a course in cork law school - anybody got any idea how useful it is? I just don't want to waste this year, and then waste the year after the conversion course - and I'm very determined to work hard, and I did get the points to do law when I sat the L.C. - just didn't know what I wanted to do, so did arts.

Q3. I'm hoping to the the grad dip in legal studies in d.i.t. next year - does anybody have any experience of this course? I've been in contact with the lecturer, and it seems quite good. As I said before, I just don't want to be in college forever, and unfortunately, my degree doesn't give me any excemptions for the LLB degree. Now, I've looked at the King's Inn requirements too, and they specify that you need a Law Degree or a Diploma in Legal Studies from The Society, yet I can't see any diploma courses on their site. Does this mean that the D.I.T. course isn't recognised by Kings Inn? I'll ask them that question myself in the near future.

Now I know that was a long post, but any responses about any of my questions, or the FE1's/Law in general will be much appreciated!

P.S. Is it really very difficult to find a solicitor to give you an apprenticeship?

Kappar

Originally posted by Mara
was hoping to get the irish exam out of the way this year so that I wouldn't have to worry about it later. However, as I won't have studied law by January, I wouldn't feel comfortable answering questions about it - any advice?

Ive been told it's like "how are you" etc though don't take that as fact

Qs 2 As I said I'm hoping to do the conversion course, but I've been told anyone can sit the FE1 exams, and I'm thinking of doing the first four in april/oct of next year - would this be impossible without studying in college?

From the Las Society's website

Final Examination - First Part (FE-1)
The Final Examination - First Part is the entrance examination to the Law Society of Ireland. Only those who have passed or gained exemption from the Preliminary Examination can sit this examination. It is held twice a year, normally in April and September.

It consists of the following eight papers:

· European Union Law
· Equity
· Constitutional Law
· Company Law
· Criminal Law
· Law of Contract
· Law of Tort
· Real Property

If you have any other questions post 'em here and also here http://pub145.ezboard.com/faskaboutmoneyfrm2 seems to be alot of law types on that forum so they can give you a better response

Mara

Thanks a mil for showing me the forum, I was trying to find one with people that would point me in the right direction! I'm ok about the preliminary exams too, cos I've got a degree already and they say University graduates from Ireland and the United Kingdom or holders of degrees (regardless of the discipline) awarded by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) are exempt from this examination . However I think people should do those exams about Tort etc. before the FE1's in theory cos that'd show I knew something about law if they've just done any old degree!

Sangre

In 1st BCL (law) UCD atm.
The Irish exams are meant to be easy, if people from the North who have never studied Irish can pass it then so can you.

Ucd also has Irish classes for these exams, tcd prob does too.

Also if you can get the 550 points for law, then you sure as hell can pass that irish exam.

Mara

Thanks a mil for showing me the forum, I was trying to find one with people that would point me in the right direction! I'm ok about the preliminary exams too, cos I've got a degree already and they say University graduates from Ireland and the United Kingdom or holders of degrees (regardless of the discipline) awarded by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) are exempt from this examination . However I think people should do those exams about Tort etc. before the FE1's in theory cos that'd show they knew something about law if they've just done any old degree!

arac

In final year BCL in Nui Galway..heard conflicting reports about the Fe1s, apparently Tort is meant to be the most difficult to pass as your man can lump like 3 topics into one questions, as to the rest of them, Id say they are ok. What s going to be the killer for me is when I have to study for the entire summer after I graduate to study for them ..ahh. Going to do the the Irish exam at Christmas, its not supposed to be that diificult and the oral is only 3mins long, Ill let you all know when I have it done!