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TY pupils encouraged to consider legal career

Last week at Blackhall Place, 40 transition-year (TY) students took part in the Law Society Solicitors of the Future programme, which allows pupils to learn about working in the legal sector.

A total of 360 TY students have participated since 2017, and the programme is open to students from schools across the country.

This year one-fifth of participants were from DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools.

The Solicitors of the Future week shows participants how the law can be relevant to daily lives.

Awareness

It also promotes awareness of legal processes, constitutional principles, and values that underpin the rule of law in Ireland.

Facilitated by Law Society staff, trainee solicitors, and experienced practitioners, the immersive programme features expert-led workshops, court visits, a careers seminar, and a mini mock trial.

Limerick solicitor Vanessa Blake, 29, spoke to the TY students about how she went from a DEIS school to practising as a solicitor in her native city, after qualifying in February last year.

While at school, Vanessa didn’t believe that a legal career was possible for her, but was encouraged by her career-guidance counsellors to consider it.

"You assume the points are too high and the school you go to might not have had a lot of students that would've gone in that path,” she said.

“No one in my family would’ve done that degree, so for me to be the first was very scary," she said.

Vanessa says that she studied hard for her Leaving Cert, but did not get enough points to secure a place to study law, to her disappointment.

But everything changed when she realised there was a range of supports and grants available to her to help her achieve her goals.

"I went to a DEIS school and there are supports for schools like that, which are considered to be situated in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.

“I got awarded the HEAR grant that allowed me to get the extra points I needed, and then SUSI grants and access grants were available too. If I wasn't made aware of those supports, I wouldn't be sitting here."

Vanessa's training was also supported by the Law Society Access Programme, which has helped 236 solicitors to qualify since 2001.

TY participant Ethan Zoschke, of Ballinode Community College, Sligo, said: “Going to a? DEIS school, you sometimes think there are barriers, that you won’t be able to make it, but having opportunities like this is great, it shows that it’s really possible.”

Struggles

Vanessa told the TY pupils that, though there would be struggles, they shouldn’t doubt themselves.

“You’ll get the support you need if you ask for it; put in the effort and the reward is definitely worth it,” she said.

"It's a privilege to come back and to speak here at the Law Society and I suppose it's just great to promote to the students the paths and supports that are out there," Vanessa said.

The Law Society believes that increasing early access to legal education is a priority because a diverse profession is fundamental to a progressive, modern Ireland.