Cork solicitor Patrick Dorgan takes office as new Law Society President
The Law Society of Ireland has announced that Patrick Dorgan has taken office as the President of the Law Society of Ireland for 2018/2019.
The Cork native, a partner at Ronan Daly Jermyn, is the 148th president of the Society. He will serve a 12-month term at the head of the Irish solicitors’ profession, which comprises over 10,800 practising solicitors.
“It is a great honour to be elected President of the Law Society of Ireland at a time when there are over 18,000 names on the Roll of Solicitors. The profession is growing rapidly, with nearly 1,000 solicitors added to the Roll last year,” said Mr Dorgan.
Focus on diversity and inclusion
Outlining his priorities for his term in office, Mr Dorgan highlighted a focus on diversity and inclusion within the profession. “We are proud of the strides made in terms of equality and diversity within the Irish solicitors’ profession over many years, and never more so than when we became the first legal profession worldwide to achieve gender parity in 2015.”
“We are now looking ahead and one of my priorities as President will be to build on that achievement and further develop the strong policy of diversity and inclusion that is already at the core of the profession’s values.”
Technology, business and the law
Mr Dorgan highlighted the opportunities technology holds for solicitors and the wider legal profession in providing future-proof legal services and advice to businesses. “Business is worried about the impacts from Brexit and political change throughout Europe and the US in particular. Technology has changed profoundly the way we do business and go about our lives.”
“Approached intelligently, these challenges are opportunities for smart businesses to thrive in new ways, and the solicitors’ profession is no different – it is younger, more diverse, more tech savvy and generally more switched on to what business and consumers need from their lawyers than ever before.”
About Patrick Dorgan
Patrick Dorgan was brought up in Cork, with stints in Galway and Dublin as the son of a manager in the Munster & Leinster Bank. He was educated at Christian Brothers College, University College, Cork and the Law Society of Ireland
Mr Dorgan has been on the Council of the Law Society for almost 20 years, and has served on most of its Committees. He was executive Chair of the solicitors’ professional indemnity mutual, the SMDF, until its recent trade sale.
He practises as a property partner in leading law firm Ronan Daly Jermyn. He is married to Maria, and has three children, the eldest of whom is also a solicitor.
