"The law is an ass"! So said Charles Dickens. But if you are still keen to join the legal herd be prepared to do a lot of donkey work. And make sure you eat those carrots dangled in front of you because you will need good eyesight for all those late nights reading law books - and don't expect them to be as entertaining as the scripts from Ally McBeal. When you eventually qualify, you won't find partners in law producing pet frogs from their pockets and the only time you are likely to see people dancing in unisex toilets is on your television screen when you swap your desk for the couch at the end of a long hard day in the office. (And be warned that the 'office' is the place where you will be responsible for the world's problems and where the tiniest mistake will result in it's ending!).
But if you do feel solicitous enough (not an essential prerequisite!) to be a solicitor, and are possessed of the ability to thrive on long hours with lots of pressure (a very essential prerequisite!), then the rewards can be good, especially the financial ones. And if you do make it this far, the chances are that you will be driving home to a very good address in a large car after your long day. For more information on this much sought after profession, contact the Law School of the Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7. Telephone : 01 672 4802. You will find a very comprehensive guide to the steps necessary to become a solicitor on their website at www.lawsociety.ie.
However if just watching drama on television is not enough for you and you fancy a starring role in the courtroom variety then the Bar might be your chosen calling. As well as the necessary educational qualifications (see www.kingsinns.ie) you will also need to enjoy dressing up in a wig and gown and have a messianic belief in the power of your own arguments. It doesn't matter if the prosecution can produce fifteen eyewitnesses who saw your client steal the old lady's handbag, you must have the ability to convince the court that he is not guilty. But if you find that crime does not pay as well as you would like, there are many other areas of specialisation e.g. personal injury and family law (where you can benefit from the fact that love does not always run smoothly). Who knows, you might get a lucky break and get into a tribunal - and that's a production that is guaranteed to run and run. After a long stint on a tribunal you could find yourself driving home to your villa in the sun - the one with the yacht outside. However, unlike the relative financial security of working in a law firm, the volume of a barrister's work depends on getting briefs from solicitors and this can be sporadic at the beginning of a legal career. In that sense it is a more risky career option but the financial rewards can reach bigger figures, and remember the courts close for the summer, so you can enjoy the villa in the sun when it arrives! And the good thing is that you can study for the Bar in the evening without having to give up the day job just yet. For further information contact: The Honourable Society of King's Inns, Henrietta Street, Dublin 1. Telephone: 874 4840. Their website - www.kingsinns.ie - is packed full of information about joining this most privileged group of orators.
