Plan to address barriers to entry to legal professions and early career progression published.
- Plan identifies steps needed to widen and increase access to education, training, and career opportunities in the legal professions.
- Relevant professional bodies and stakeholders will sit on the Implementation Plan Working Group.
- LSRA will provide progress reports every 6 months.
A plan has been published to address the barriers facing many newly qualified and early career solicitors and barristers.
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) were asked to submit a plan to implement the recommendations of its Breaking Down Barriers Report.
This report, which was published in September, examined how a range of issues such as financial means, geography and professional connections can act as obstacles to progression for those studying or starting out in the legal professions.
The plan contains 32 recommendations, and the implementation process will be led by the CEO of the LSRA, who will also chair the Barriers Implementation Working Group.
Relevant professional bodies will be invited to nominate representatives to sit on the Working Group, which will hold quarterly progress update meetings with the legal professional bodies, the Law Society of Ireland, the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and the Bar of Ireland.
Dr Brian Doherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Service Regulatory Authority said: “The LSRA very much looks forward to working with all relevant stakeholders with the common goal of building a more inclusive and diverse legal services sector. The recommendations made in the Breaking Down Barriers report represent an important reform initiative which will build upon measures introduced in recent years by key stakeholders, including the professional bodies for solicitors and barristers, the Law Society of Ireland, the Bar of Ireland and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns.”
The LSRA Breaking Down Barriers Implementation Plan can be accessed HERE.
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