Role of the Committee

The role of the Guidance & Ethics Committee is to provide guidance for individual members, dispute resolution and provide guidance on professional conduct. The objectives of the Committee are:

1. Promoting guidance and ethics by way of a helpline and responses to written queries.
2. To Visit Bar Associations to raise awareness of the work of the Guidance and Ethics Committee.
3. “Good Conduct in Practice” project - this will be a series of practice notes to highlight important issues of conduct.
4. “Information on Ethics” - the committee will be monitoring developments on ethical and conduct issues here and in other jurisdictions.
5. CCBE Deontology Committee - responding to requests from the CCBE Deontology Committee for information on conduct in ethical matters.”

Members and Secretary

Chair: Catherine MacGinley

Vice-Chair: Susan Martin

Members

• Robert Baker
• Gus Cullen
• Conor Dalton
• Sean Durcan
• Bill Holohan SC
• Caitriona Healy
• Wesley Hudson
• Niamh Kelly
• Sharon McElligott
• Michael Moran
• Cian Moriarty
• Annmarie Ryan
• Paul Ryan
• Madeleine Thornton
• Sinéad Whelan

Secretary: David Mulvihill

Current issues

Current issues on the Committee's agenda include the following:

1. Get a Quote: This is a project to encourage solicitors to give quotes for legal services. Sign up for Get a Quote
2. Practice management – Ten Steps project: Continue to publish practice notes in a “Ten Steps” format on useful practice management topics.
3. Professional representation, before Law Society regulatory committees, Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal and the High Court. Raise awareness of the importance of professional representation, when appropriate. See details of the Panel to Assist Solicitors in Difficulty with the Law Society
4. Promoting awareness of the importance of solicitors taking care of their physical health.
5. Promote the use of the committee’s precedent “Solicitors’ Terms and Conditions of Business” document. New edition March 2017 -no.24 on Precedents page.
6. Contribute material of interest to consumers for the public area of the Law Society website.
7. Assist solicitors in practice with their experience to aide the solicitor’s profession in working practices, such as the current ‘Transition Year Project’.
8. Encourage solicitors’ firms to engage in and publicise corporate and social responsibility (CSR) projects.

Contact Us

Please email any queries to the Committee Secretary, David Mulvihill.