Training in the Republic of Ireland

Welcome to our Republic of Ireland section. With a growing number of UK firms opening up offices and offering training contracts in Dublin, we’re here to showcase the best training opportunities in the Irish capital.

Read on to find out about the process of qualifying as a solicitor in the Republic of Ireland. To see our Irish training contract profiles, click here.

The training and education of solicitors in Ireland is run by The Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin.

To qualify as a solicitor in the Republic of Ireland you will need to complete the following steps:

Preliminary Examination (for non-Graduates)

If you don’t have an undergraduate degree, you can take the preliminary examination, which is held once a year in March.

FE-1 Entrance Examination to Law Society of Ireland

Graduates need to sit and pass FE-1 (Final Examination Part 1). The exam can be taken in sprint or autumn and consists of eight papers covering the following core legal subjects:

1. Company Law

2. Constitutional Law

3. Law of Contract

4. Criminal Law

5. European Union Law

6. Equity

7. Law of Property

8. Law of Tort

Find a training contract

Find a training contract with an eligible solicitor.  You cannot go on to study the Professional Practice Course until you have completed this step.

Professional Practice Course

Start the Professional Practice Course  . These courses usually run from September to April and can be studied in Dublin or Cork.

In-Office Training

Start your training contract. This period of practical training usually starts around two weeks after you finish your Professional Practice Course exams, and lasts for two years, unless you are eligible to shorten your time because of previous experience.

Admission to the Roll of Solicitors

Once you have completed and passed your exams and finished your in-office training, you can apply to be admitted to the roll of solicitors.

 

For a comprehensive explanation of the route to becoming a solicitor in the Republic of Ireland, head to the Law Society of Ireland website.