In May 2021, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LRSA) invited written submissions on a consultation entitled “Barriers for Early Career Solicitors and Barristers and Increasing Diversity“.

The consultation was based on a request from the Minister for Justice for the LRSA to:

“Consider the economic and other barriers faced by young barristers and solicitors following their qualification from the King’s Inns and Law Society respectively and to submit a report with recommendations for her consideration. [emphasis added]”

The first meeting of the Steering Committee for the disAbility Legal Network considered disability within “other barriers” and agreed on a response to the LRSA. We did not have any representative of the Bar of Ireland at the first meeting, so our responses were informed by a lived experience of working as a trainee/qualified solicitor with a disability in Ireland.

We finalised and made our submission on 6 July 2021.

The LRSA conducted a survey related to this consultation among solicitors and barristers in October 2021.

Download our submission to the LSRA here

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