Guidance & Ethics

Role of the Committee

Robert_Baker.jpgThe 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.”

Chair: Robert Baker

Vice-Chair: Cian Moriarty

Members

  • Justine Carty
  • Gus Cullen
  • Conor Dalton
  • Sean Durcan
  • Bill Holohan SC
  • Caitriona Healy
  • Wesley Hudson
  • Niamh Kelly
  • Sharon McElligott
  • Catherine MacGinley
  • Susan Martin
  • Michael Moran
  • Jennifer O’Sullivan
  • Annmarie Ryan
  • Paul Ryan
  • Madeleine Thornton

Consultant

  • Brendan Dillon

Secretary: Eamonn Maguire


Current issues on the Committee's agenda include:

Practice Management

  1. Get a Quote: This is a project to encourage solicitors to give quotes for legal services.
  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.
  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.

Practice Management

  1.  

Please email any queries to the Committee Secretary,  Eamonn Maguire.