Prioritising challenges
From the beginning of my presidency, I have sought to prioritise the challenges faced by sole practitioners and smaller practices, particularly in regional areas, writes Eamon Harrington.
While many services are already provided by the Law Society to support you in practice, additional resources are continuing to be developed.
For example, you can now access the recently launched Legal Tech Hub on lawsociety. ie. Enhanced assistance for succession planning is also in train.
I’m delighted to announce a new Law Society initiative – designating October as ‘Small Practice Month’, with a programme designed to support the unique needs and expertise of this core sector of the profession in practice, business, and wellbeing.
Throughout the month, you can access a range of events and resources in key areas, such as conveyancing, cybersecurity, technology, recruitment, and retention. Most events are complimentary and available to access online to accommodate you wherever you work.
To coincide with Cybersecurity Month (also in October), the Law Society is offering a discount on its online training course to learn about security fundamentals and the basics of cybercrime.
To access the full programme and book your place for the events taking place, visit .
In case you missed it, the Law Society has opened applications for another grant to support small practices in hiring a trainee in a regional area, on top of the five already awarded this year.
Since 2020, a total of 31 grants have been awarded. Each grant provides €17,000 for the firm and €7,000 towards the trainee’s PPC Hybrid course fees, delivering real value to both the practice and the local community.
If you’re a practice with between one and five solicitors, based outside the main urban areas, applications are open until 10 October. Details are on the Law Society’s website.
Budget submission
In September, the Law Society published its Budget 2026 Submission, which has attracted widespread national attention across radio and print. You may have heard one of the many interviews with the Law Society’s director general Mark Garrett or policy director Dr Brian Hunt outlining our priorities.
These included Newstalk, Southeast Radio, Shannonside Northern Sound FM, Tipp FM, LMFM, C103FM, Limerick Live 95FM, and Highland Radio, plus a feature article in the Business Post.
The submission set out a clear case for a well-resourced justice system, with 41 practical, cost-effective recommendations on six priority areas, designed to improve access to justice for individuals, businesses, and communities across the country.
These included improving court infrastructure and staffing, increasing access to legal aid, promoting Ireland as a global legal hub, supporting small practices, as well as broadening access to legal education for a more inclusive profession.
Every day, solicitors help people navigate life’s most important moments – from buying a home and resolving family disputes, to safeguarding rights and starting a business.
Yet the system is under strain. As the pre-budget submission outlined, court cases currently take at least 1.5 times longer than the European average, due to persistent under-resourcing and structural inefficiencies.
Courts are struggling to clear backlogs of cases, legal aid is stretched, and some communities are at risk of losing access to legal services altogether. An independent, efficient, and well-resourced justice system is essential for society and for the wider economy.
Our justice system is highly valued, and it should be resourced in a way that reflects its importance to society. This is a critical moment – not only for access to justice, but for the sustainability of the legal profession that underpins it. In the Budget to be announced on 7 October, we expect to see more investment.
The Law Society’s submission set out clear priorities for reform. We have made the case for change and will continue to advocate for essential measures in the public interest.
Eamon Harrington is President of the Law Society