Practising certificate fee waiver for solicitors participating in Skillnet, JobBridge or WPP schemes

Regulation of Practice 06/12/2013

Solicitors providing legal services through a work experience initiatives, such as Skillnet, JobBridge or WPP schemes, are required to hold a current practising certificate, just as any solicitor employed on a paid basis is required. However, the Law Society has put in place an arrangement whereby solicitors on formalised work experience schemes will be provided with a practising certificate free of charge for the duration of the placement.

Solicitors applying for such a waiver must complete and return the relevant application for waiver to the Society and must meet the following criteria:

  • They are registered with the Law Society’s Career Support service as participating in a Skillnet, JobBridge or WPP scheme,
  • They are providing legal services by participating in the Skillnet, JobBridge or WPP scheme,
  • They are providing legal services to and for the firm or organisation providing the work experience through the Skillnet, JobBridge or WPP scheme only, and not to any other third party,
  • They are receiving no salary, wage or other remuneration from the firm or organisation providing the work experience, other than that prescribed by the Department of Social Protection, and
  • They have no contract of employment with the firm or organisation providing the work experience.

The waiver, if granted, shall apply only so long as all of the above provisions continue to apply to the solicitor. If any of these provisions cease to apply, the solicitor is required to notify the Regulation Department and the Career Support service of the Society in writing with immediate effect, and is liable to pay the due amounts pro rata for the practising certificate for the remainder of the practice year. Any practising certificate granted under the scheme must be returned at the end of the placement.

Solicitors seeking to avail of this waiver under one of the approved schemes listed above should contact the Society’s Regulation Department at pc@lawsociety.ie. The application for the waiver is available for download from the members’ area of the Society’s website.