Your in-office training period commences 14 days after the last examination of the second semester of the PPC.

The date that your in-office training period is due to end under your training contract is 24 months from the start date of your in-office training period. The expiry date of your Training Contract means that the contract between you and your training solicitor is at an end. It is not your qualification date.

Legal work experience in the office of your training solicitor or another practising solicitor, or in the Courts Service, prior to starting the PPC can entitle you to credit of up to four months against your two year in-office training period. You must apply formally to the traineeship section for this credit.

In addition to credit for work prior to the PPC, a trainee solicitor completing the Part-time (Hybrid) PPC may also be in a position to accrue credit of up to five months for working in the Republic of Ireland in their training firm/ the office of another practising solicitor/ the Courts Service during the Part-time (Hybrid) PPC.

The following conditions apply when making a Credit Application –

1. Before you apply for credit, you must have successfully completed 18 months of your in-office training (Full-time PPC) or 13 months of your in-office training (Part-time (Hybrid) PPC).
2. You can only seek credit for legal experience while attending the office of your training solicitor/ the office of another practising solicitor/ working for the Courts Service within the jurisdiction of the Republic of Ireland.
3. The maximum credit time you can be granted is four months.
4. The time in the office, for which you are seeking credit, must have been undertaken up to one year immediately preceding attendance on the PPC.
5. Your training solicitor must sign the credit application form.
6. Any credit time awarded will be deducted from the end of the traineeship period.
7. It is important to keep a written record of the work in which you have gained experience. This will assist you when the time comes to complete the form, as you will also be required to submit a written certificate signed by you giving details of the categories of work undertaken by you during the applicable period.
8. You can claim credit for work undertaken on a part-time basis. Send a letter detailing your usual working week and the Traineeship Section will calculate the total credit due. If, for example, you work an 18-hour week over an eight-month period, this would equate to credit of four months.

Download the Credit Application Form

Download a sample Credit Application Certificate

The below tables show the completion dates for in-office training with or without credit.

The training contract is a binding contract. Applications to move offices and/or change your training solicitor should only arise in exceptional circumstances. However, if your training solicitor consents to the change then, subject to a few small conditions, you can anticipate that your application to change training office / solicitor will be granted by the Law Society. If your training solicitor is not consenting to the move, you can still submit your application but you will need to provide written evidence of the request you made to your training solicitor for such consent.

The application process varies depending on whether or not you have already started your in-office training.

Changes before commencement of in-office training – Transfer

If you have not started your in-office training and you wish to apply to change your training solicitor, this is called a transfer. Your in-office training period commencesl 14 days after the last exam of the second semester of the PPC. The procedure to transfer your training contract from one solicitor to another is similar to the application process to enter into a training contract. To apply for a transfer you will need to submit the following documents to the Traineeship Section, with a letter of release from your training solicitor.

• Form 1
• Annexe to Form 1
• Form 2A
• Annexe to Form 2A
• Form 2B (for trainees in a firm with a Training Officer)
• Annexe to Form 2B (for trainees in a firm with a Training Officer)

Your training solicitor's letter of release should state that they are prepared to release you from the obligations contained in the training contract. There is no requirement to submit a second fee or to re-submit the evidence in support (e.g. birth certificate).

Once your application to transfer your training contract has been completed, you will be issued with fresh consent to enter into a training contract and you will be given a fresh training contract to complete.

Please note that until the new training contract is fully completed and returned for registration by the Registrar of the Law Society, you will continue to be contracted to your former training solicitor and correspondence will continue to be sent to their office.

Changes after commencement of in-office training

The training contract is a binding contract. Applications to move offices and/or change your training solicitor should only arise in exceptional circumstances. However, if your training solicitor consents to the change then, subject to a few small conditions, you can anticipate that your application to change office/ solicitor will be granted by the Law Society. If your training solicitor is not consenting to the move, you can still submit your application but you will need to provide written evidence of the request you made to your training solicitor tfor such consent.

If you have started your in-office training and wish to apply to change training office / solicitor, you must apply for permission to have your Training Contract assigned. Applications that are non-retrospective to a Partner in another solicitor firm are made to the Education Committee of the Law Society.   The application can be submitted by email to the Traineeship Section at TraineeSection@LawSociety.ie. The application should include the following:  

1. A letter setting out the reasons for the proposed assignment and a date for when it is hoped that the assignment will take effect.
2. A letter from your current training solicitor setting out whether they consent to the request.
3. A letter from the proposed training solicitor confirming that they are prepared to have the Training Contract assigned to them and that they accept and agree to be bound by the conditions therein and furthermore the date that the proposed assignment is said to take place.
4. Pay fee of €115 to be paid by EFT.

Applications that are non-retrospective to a Partner within the same training firm can be sent to the Director of Education for approval. The application requirements listed above remain the same and the fee of €30 will apply for these applications.

A retrospective assignment application will need to be heard at the Education Committee. The application requirements remain the same, however a reason must be given as to why the application was not made at the time of the move. A fee of €365 will apply for these applications.

The Law Society’s Education Committee will examine whether your application is made with good cause and whether or not the application is made with the consent of all parties. If your training solicitor refuses to consent to the proposed assignment, the Committee may consider representations from them together with any representations or submissions that you may choose to make.

Applications must be submitted to the Traineeship Section well in advance of scheduled Committee meeting.

Education Committee meetings 2025

Education Committee Decisions

Decisions on application are sent by email. This usually takes between 1-5 working days following the Committee meeting.

If your application to have your Training Contract assigned is successful, you will be sent the assignment form. The form, which is made up of two parts, Forms 4A/B and 5, has to be completed and returned to the Traineeship Section. Your new training solicitor must complete the part of the form known as Form 4A/B, “Statutory declaration of intended training solicitor as to execution of training contract or Assignment of training contract”. You and your training solicitor must sign and complete Form 5 “Assignment of training contract”. Once both parts of this form have been returned, it will be registered and returned to you for your safekeeping.

Please note: until the Deed of Assignment of Training Contract is fully completed and returned for registration by the Registrar of the Law Society, you will continue to be contracted to your former training solicitor and correspondence will continue to be sent to their office.

Changing training solicitor/ office without consent

Please note that it is a requirement of the training contract that a trainee be at the office of the training solicitor on a “continuous and full-time basis”. Therefore, moving offices without consent represents a breach of the regulations. The time spent at another office without such consent will be disregarded when assessing the qualification time. You may be required to complete an extended in-office training period. Application to change training office / solicitor should therefore be made in good time in advance of your proposed move.

Your in-office training period starts 14 days after the last examination of semester 2 on the PPC.

To make the most of your in-office training experience you should arrange to meet your training solicitor at certain times during the week and use these regular meetings to discuss and explore issues. It is better idea to take a more structured approach when you need guidance.

If there are any points which you do not understand or need explained, talk to colleagues in the practice who will be glad to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Please see Your Employment Rights for useful information around working hours, holidays etc.

A secondment is an opportunity for you, during the course of your training, to work elsewhere. This work can be in Ireland or abroad and need not be in a solicitor’s office. In order to go on secondment, you must demonstrate that the work would be advantageous to further your education or training (or both) and to your preparation for admission to the solicitor’s profession.

The secondment should be undertaken in one block. There is no minimum time limit but a secondment cannot be for more than six months. The needs of your office will have to be considered together with the demands of the secondment placement.

There is an exciting range of work that can be undertaken during the course of a secondment and no limit to what would be considered suitable providing it satisfies the test set out above. A secondment could be an opportunity for you to experience a totally new area of law, or a new culture if take abroad. It could help you in shaping your career without burning any bridges or having to make any major commitments. A secondment is only temporary. You always have the security of knowing that you return to the office of your training solicitor when the secondment is over.

In some cases, secondments are compulsory, particularly if your training solicitor cannot offer you experience in the key areas of legal practice. If your training solicitor cannot offer you experience in the key areas, they are required to declare this to the Law Society when seeking consent to enter into Indentures. Your training solicitor should also assist you in finding a suitable secondment.

Generally, the office to which you are seconded will pay your salary rather than your primary training solicitor/office.

If you would like to explore the possibility of going on secondment, you should first talk to your training solicitor. There is no obligation on a training solicitor to allow you to go on secondment. For many practices, it would be unworkable for a trainee to be absent from the office for a lengthy period of time.

Secondment applications

Applications to go on secondment require the consent of the Law Society. Before any request to go on secondment is granted, the Law Society will check that the application has the consent of the training solicitor.

Applications for secondments are submitted to the Law Society through the Traineeship Section and require the following –

1. Secondment application form signed by all 3 parties
2. Fee of €50

The application form must give details as to when the secondment is due to start and finish. The reason for the secondment should also be explained. The application can be emailed to TraineeSection@LawSociety.ie.

>It is important that you provide full details on the Secondment Application form including the start and finish dates of the secondment; and the reasons for the secondment. You should provide details of the experience/ training you would receive whilst on secondment.

Applications must be submitted to the Traineeship Section well in advance of the proposed secondment. Please note that it is a requirement of the Training Contract that you are in the office of your training solicitor on a “continuous and full-time” basis. Therefore, leaving the office without the consent of the Law Society is a breach of the regulations. In addition, until consent is granted you cannot be sure that the move you seek will be approved. A refusal by the Law Society could lead to you not only breaching the Training Contract but also finding that the time spent at another office will be disregarded when assessing the qualification time.  A retrospective secondment application will need to be heard by the Education Committee and the fee of €365. Decisions on these applications are made on a case-by-case basis. 

Once the secondment has been approved a Secondment Consent letter will be emailed to all 3 parties.

When the secondment has come to an end you will be required to submit an additional letter from your secondment supervisor. This letter must provide details of the duration of the secondment and the experience gained. The letter can be emailed to the Traineeship Section TraineeSection@LawSociety.ie.

Securing a secondment

In some cases, your training solicitor will arrange the secondment. This might be because the solicitor wishes to ensure that you receive experience in all the key areas of perhaps because of a long-standing agreement between a firm in Ireland and another firm abroad. Otherwise, finding a secondment is up to you.

The best way to secure a secondment is word-of-mouth. Talking to friends or colleagues about vacancies or opportunities is a good way to start. You can make direct contact with companies or firms, but you should make it clear what you are seeking. Remember that firms can be inundates with students seeking training contracts. Consider placing an advert in the Gazette – the rates are very reasonable, and the advert will reach every solicitor in the country. Firms might have a greater need for a trainee just after the PPC has started, as their trainee may have left them to join the course.

Hours of work

Your training contract requires you to undertake your training on a full-time basis. As a guide to what constitutes full-time, the Law Society recommendation is that you should work 36 hour per week. Working on a part-time basis is possible, although permission should be sought from the Law Society as working part-time will affect your training contract expiry date.

Holidays

The Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 set out the basic entitlements. In the case of trainees who are expected to work 36 hours per week, the annual leave entitlement is 1.66 days per calendar month, or 20 days. If you commence your employment with your training solicitor after the leave year has commenced, you receive your holiday entitlement on a pro rate basis. For example, if the leave year for your firm commenced on 1 January and you commenced work on 1 April, you can expect to receive pro rate for the remainder of the year (15 days holiday entitlement).

Payment of course fees

Your training solicitor is under no obligation to pay your course fees. However, the payment of fees can constitute a deductible expense for tax purposes and any training solicitor wishing to know more about this should contact their local tax office.

Salary and the “living wage”

The Education Committee of the Law Society of Ireland, whilst recognising that it exceeds the minimum statutory wage under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 (“NMWA 2000”, see below), recommends that a training solicitor gives consideration to paying his or her trainee solicitor the higher non-statutory “living wage” published from time to time by the Vincentian Partnership, as found and defined on its website (www.livingwage.ie). The current “living wage” hourly rate if €14.75 per hour and therefore, based on the recommended 36 hour work week, represents a weekly salary of €531.

Statutory minimum wage

A training solicitor is obliged to pay his/her trainee solicitor a minimum salary under the terms of the NMWA 2000. From 1 January 2025, the statutory national minimum wage for an experienced adult employee is €13.50 per hour (the “Statutory Wage”). An experienced adult employee, for the purposes of the NMWA 2000 is an employee who has had employment of any kind in any two years over the age of 18. For further information see the Trainee Salary Guide.

• Trainee Salary guide

Employment contract 

Your training solicitor may also ask you to enter into a contract of employment. You are not prohibited from entering into such a contract. However, should a term of the employment contract conflict with any term of the training contract, the training contract takes precedence. You are advised to seek independent legal advice before entering into a contract of employment. 

Other employment obligations and rights

The training contract sets out the contractual responsibilities between you and your training solicitor, and the Law Society, in relation to the training relationship. It does not stand in the place of an employment contract, nor does it attempt to deal with your position as an employee. As an employee, you will have other entitlements and obligations arising from a range of employment legislation. It is not the function of the Law Society to advise in respect of general employment rights or advise you about your employment rights and obligations. You are advised to seek independent legal advice should you have a question or query arising from your status as an employee.

More information

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has a very useful website which provides information on issues such as Holidays and Public Holidays, Minimum Wage, Sick Leave and Unfair Dismissal. Visit www.welfare.ie.

The Law Society recognises and values difference and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for the benefit of all and endorses the principles of inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment.

Reasonable and appropriate accommodations and other supports are determined on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the individual's certified disability/specific learning difficulty.  It is important that a formal and timely application is made for such supports so that the appropriate supports can be identified and provided where necessary.

• Find more information about the supports offered

Traineeship Section

• Tel: 01 672 4802
• Email: TraineeSection@LawSociety.ie 
• Postal Address: Traineeship Section, Law School, Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin, D07 VY24
• DX: 79 Dublin