The Programme offers reduced or waived exam and course fees as well as maintenance funding from the Final Examination – First Part (FE-1) exams stage through to the completion of the Professional Practice Courses (PPC)*.

Once accepted onto the Programme, students may be eligible for a fee waiver on exam fees for four FE-1 exam sittings (students can register to sit up to eight FE-1 papers  at each sitting).

Please be advised that there is a cap on Access student numbers for each FE-1 sitting and Professional Practice Course. Should the maximum be reached, students may be required to wait until the next FE-1 sitting or PPC as applicable.

*Exam(s) re-check fees and PPC exam(s) re-sit fees are not covered by the Access Programme.

Application Process

1. Applicants are required to complete a detailed application form and return this to
   Access Programme,
   Law School,
   Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place,
   Dublin D07 VY24,
   DX 79 Dublin.
2. Applicants are interviewed by the Access Programme of the Law Society of Ireland.
3. Final decision regarding eligibility is determined by an Access Scholarship Programme sub-committee.
4. Places are allocated according to budget and a waiting list may apply.

Eligibility

Applications are considered from candidates who have completed degree programmes, with the support of an Access Programme, in one of the following higher education institutes:

• University of Limerick
• Dublin City University
• Institutes of Technology
• National University of Ireland, University College Cork
• National University of Ireland, Galway
• National University of Ireland, Maynooth
• University of Dublin, Trinity College
• University College Dublin

In very exceptional circumstances, candidates who can demonstrate that they meet equivalent socio-economic criteria but did not participate in a third level access programme may be considered. Priority however will be given to those who did participate in a third level access programme.

All candidates will need to have completed formal legal education and/or relevant third level qualification prior to application to the Access Programme. Graduates of disciplines other than Law (e.g. History, English, etc.) and Law graduates from other jurisdictions are required to have completed a minimum of a Diploma in Irish Law which covers the eight subjects examined in the FE-1 exam before they can be assessed for the Access Scholarship Programme. This is to ensure that students are adequately prepared for those exam papers.

Fee Waivers & Financial Support**

Final Examinations – First Part (FE-1 Exam)

• Minor funding may be provided to assist with some of the costs that are directly related to undertaking the FE-1 exam papers. Students may receive financial assistance /be exempted from FE-1 exam fees up to a maximum of four sittings (ranging from one to eight exams at any one time). This applies to exams taken within a two - year period of joining the Access Programme. Any extension to this timescale will require a review of the student’s financial circumstances and a re-assessment of the student’s eligibility for the Programme. Students should apply to the FE-1 Section to take the FE-1 exam papers.
• Should a student receive maintenance funding and not sit the FE-1 exam paper(s), the Law Society may require reimbursement.
• Should a student register for FE-1 exam paper(s) and not sit them, the Law Society may request to be reimbursed - unless there are certified medical grounds for not sitting the exams. Failure to formally notify your intention to be absent or your reasons for absence to the Access programme or the FE-1 Section will result in that sitting being counted as one of the four fee-waived sittings.
• Receipts must be submitted in respect of all travel and accommodation expenses being claimed.
• Funds are at the discretion of the Law Society of Ireland and may vary depending on applicant’s personal circumstances.

Professional Practice Course Fees and Maintenance

• Minor funding may be awarded to assist with maintenance costs that are directly related to undertaking the Professional Practice Course. Each application for maintenance funding is assessed on a case by case basis. Funds are at the discretion of the Law Society of Ireland and may vary depending on applicant’s personal circumstances.
• For further information on PPC fees and funding visit Funding Your Studies.

Admission to the Roll of Solicitors

• The fee for admission to the Roll of Solicitors is waived for Law Society Access Scholarship students.

**Exam(s) re-check fees and PPC exam(s) re-sit fees are not covered by the Access Programme.

Other Resources

Assistance with procuring a training contract
There are a number of practical ways in which the Law School assists Access students to approach securing a traineeship competently and confidently.

Seminars
Free places are offered to all Access FE-1 students to attend the annual ‘How to Find a Training Contract’ seminar. Inputs are delivered by the Law Society’s Training Executive, Career Guidance Executive and experienced lawyers in practice. See Training Contract for further information.

Mentoring Appointments are available with Ian Ryan (access@lawsociety.ie) at all stages of the Access Programme to help build confidence and communication skills. These can be an important source of support for students who may feel quite isolated from family or community as a result of their chosen career path.

One-to-one appointments are available with the Law Society’s Training Executive focusing on CV advice and career guidance. Once Access students commence their period of inoffice training, a supportive visit from the Training Executive can be arranged.

Peer Support
Students may occasionally be put in direct contact with other Access students or qualified solicitors who participated in the Access Scholarship Programme.

Materials

FE-1 Books
Access students may borrow books from the FE-1 Syllabus reading lists, for each subject, from the Law Society Library. Long-term loans of books from the recommended reading lists - which are the core texts - will be confined to one text per subject. Short-term loans of core texts and of books on the supplemental reading lists can be arranged with library staff. Contact the library directly (libraryenquire@lawsociety.ie) to borrow books.

The Access Programme has a limited number of copies of the Companies Acts & EU Treaties & Legislation 2018-2019 for lending directly to Access Programme participants. You can contact the Law School Reception directly (01-6724802/ access@lawsociety.ie) to arrange to borrow a copy of either.

FE-1 exam papers and examiners’ reports extending back over a period of four years are available free of charge to Access students, from the Law School Reception desk (lawschool@lawsociety.ie). Additional Exam papers/reports may be purchased if required.

Last updated: November 2024 -please note these terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.