Most solicitors take out membership as part of the process of purchasing their Practising Certificate. If you are not purchasing a Practising Certificate for 2022, make sure to separately organise membership for yourself.
Membership costs a maximum of €85 per annum. New and recently-qualified solicitors pay less. Membership provides a myriad of important member benefits.
Being a paid-up member of the Law Society allows you use the library and borrow books anytime you want. Members are posted a copy of the award-winning Gazette every month and are entitled to access the digital Law Directory as an app on Apple and Android devices.
Only members can access a whole range of Law Society services including career support, small practice support, wellbeing support and various helplines and schemes for colleague support, including the guidance and ethics helpline. Only members can vote in Council elections and use member facilities in Blackhall Place.
Solicitors who are unemployed or who are on maternity leave are provided with free membership, but this concession is strictly applied. Any solicitor applying for free membership will be required to confirm that she/he is currently in receipt of job seeker benefit or allowance, on the pandemic unemployment payment – or is within the 26-week period that is covered by maternity benefit.
Any solicitor who wants to apply for free membership (as per the conditions just outlined) should email Shane Farrell in Law Society Career Support. Shane’s email address is s.farrell@lawsociety.ie
Purchasing membership can only be done online in 2022. However, the process is simple and it can be done in minutes here.