UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG solicitors is increasing, new figures from the Law Society indicate.
The figures show that the gap between the number of solicitors qualifying and those seeking practising certificates has grown to 624 this year, up from 365 in 2008 and 195 in 2007.
The gap always exists, and is not all due to unemployment, according to the director general of the Law Society, Ken Murphy. People may be taking a break from the profession, or taking up work in the public service or elsewhere.
He said that the society was carrying out further research on the reasons why people are not taking out practising certificates by seeking to determine their exact status and identify those who are unemployed so as to offer them as much assistance as possible.
The total number of solicitors taking out practising certificates this year increased by 153, or 2 per cent, while 777 newly qualified solicitors came on the roll of solicitors in 2008. This compares with an increase in practising certificates of 4 per cent last year, and 5 per cent the year before.
February 1st is the deadline by which solicitors must register with the Law Society by taking out practising certificates, and the rate of increase in solicitors’ numbers is falling, though the overall number continues to rise. The figures will be published in next week’s issue of the Law Society Gazette.
This year 7,427 solicitors sought practising certificates, compared with 7,274 last year, an increase of 153. Last year there was an increase of 277, and of 341 in 2007, continuing a trend from the previous year, when there were an additional 287 practising certificates issued. These figures showed an annual increase in practising solicitors of 5 per cent for 2006 and 2007, falling to 4 per cent last year.
However, the increase this year masks that record numbers of solicitors have been qualifying, 777 in 2008, though this includes solicitors from other jurisdictions who may never practise here.
“By no means every solicitor who does not take out a practising certificate is unemployed,” Mr Murphy said. “They may be employed as a solicitor in the public service and, by statute, not required to have a practising certificate. They may be working in industry or business and choose not to have a practising certificate. They may be on maternity leave, on career break, retired or working elsewhere in the economy in Ireland or abroad.”
The Bar Council has reported that about 20 people have left the Bar this year, including those who have died, retired or become judges. This brings to 60 the number who left in the past 12 months. In contrast, 22 left in the legal year 2007/2008, which runs from October to October, according to a spokeswoman.
However, the number of barristers continues to rise, with 1,822 subscribing to the Law Library in October 2008, compared with 1,703 in October 2007. The rate of increase is slowing, with 191 new entrants last year, compared with 199 the previous year.