How can Northern Ireland Qualified Lawyers Practise in the Republic of Ireland?

For Northern Ireland lawyers, there are several options for them practising in Ireland and the process of joining the roll of solicitors in Ireland is relatively straight forward.

The Law Society of Ireland recently reported that there have been 3,706 lawyers from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England registered since the beginning of 2016. The majority are lawyers who are looking for a workaround post-brexit, so that they don’t potentially lose their rights of an audience in European Courts and the ability to advise on European matters.

Multinational companies are drawn to Ireland as a base for their European operations and similarly, so are Northern Ireland qualified Lawyers. There are many economic advantages that Ireland can offer, and these are enhanced by its legal system, which similar to the UK, is based on Common Law.

Below outlines how you can apply for the Certificate of Admission at the Law Society of Ireland:

Certificate of Admission

Lawyers who gained their qualification in Northern Ireland, England and Wales or have qualified and have at least three years post qualification experience in Northern Ireland, England or Wales can apply for the Certificate of Admission without sitting the QLTT (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test) exams.

The application process can take approximately 8 weeks in total. There is a fee to be paid (in Euros) to the Law Society of Ireland.

Certificate of Admission applications are accepted throughout the year and can be found on the Law Society website.

For further information on the legal market in Ireland or job opportunities for Qualified Lawyers in Dublin, please contact Ryan Calvert – Manager of Legal and HR on r.calvert@mcsgroup.jobs | 028 9023 5456