The Professional Law School City College Dublin
www.citycolleges.ie
Law Society of Ireland & Honorable Society of King’s Inns Entrance Examinations Preparatory Programmes www.citycolleges.ie
South Gt George’s Street, D2
Templeogue, D6W
Online
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Welcome
Contents Welcome
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Why City Colleges?
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Student Testimonials
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About Our Lecturers
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Qualification Information
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Live Lecture Broadcasting/Online
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How To Enrol
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Contact Us
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Thank you for considering City Colleges’ Law Society of Ireland and Honorable Society of King’s Inns Entrance Examination preparatory programmes. I delivered my first FE1 course in 1997, and Ireland’s first King’s Inns Entrance Exam preparatory programme in 2002, and since then have had the pleasure of being involved in the entrance exam preparation of the majority of Ireland’s trainee lawyers. 2011 marked the launch of City Colleges, and the coming together of a hugely experienced and enthusiastic team of law lecturers (including Brendan Foley, Ronan Lupton, Ciarán Lawlor, Patricia Cronin and Mark Cockerill) who are relentlessly focused on ensuring your success in these challenging and arduous examinations. Lectures are streamed live, and are also recorded and made available for review online. We offer around the clock support to professional law students via telephone and email. Dedicated study rooms and computer facilities are also provided. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance in your studies. I look forward to seeing you in June.
Yours faithfully,
Philip Burke Head of Law School and Chief Executive Officer, City Colleges
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Why City Colleges?
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I just wanted to say thanks to you and all at City Colleges for helping me through the exams. It was a daunting task taking on all eight and the help I received from City Colleges was top class. I found the online lectures very good, the manuals were well laid out and easy to follow and it was also great to have the past papers and examiner’s reports provided. The extra notes the lecturers gave on popular topics and the night before notes were a good help to have towards the end for recapping over the material. I will recommend City Colleges to anyone I know thinking of taking a prep course. Thanks very much for all your help and for answering any questions I had so quickly! ”
At City Colleges, we believe that the student experience is, in large part, determined by the quality of the tuition provided. For this reason, we have assembled a team of talented and inspiring lecturers who, between them, have taught a remarkable number of first placed prizewinners. Lectures are also streamed live, as well as recorded and made available for review online.
Why City Colleges? • Ireland’s finest Law Society and King’s Inns Entrance Exam tutors, including Brendan Foley, Ciarán Lawlor, Patricia Cronin, Philip Burke, Ronan Lupton and Mark Cockerill • The most up-to-date and comprehensive Law Society and King’s Inns manuals in Ireland (commissioned and written in 2012) • Live lectures streamed on Moodle, and also recorded for later review • Exam question and solution bank • Dedicated exam review and preview classes
Laura Goonan 2011/2012
• Memory and study technique classes • City centre location in South Great George’s Street, convenient for bus, LUAS, DART, etc. • Southside Dublin location in Templeogue • Study rooms and library in our city centre and Templeogue locations • Limited class sizes
Criminal Law
Constitutional Law
Contract Law
European Union Law
Criminal Law Contract Law Constitutional Law
Company Law
Property Law
Law of Torts
Law of Equity
Law Society Entrance Examination subjects
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Law of Evidence Tort Law King’s Inns Entrance Examination subjects
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Student Testimonials
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Mark lectured in Company Law and I would suggest he is one of the principal reasons for my passing that exam! His lectures are enjoyable and he is eminently approachable. He simplified what is one of the broadest courses into something which is manageable, which, anyone who has studied this subject before will know is no mean feat!” L. Dempsey I constantly found that there is never anything which is too much to ask of Pamela and Philip; if it will be of assistance to you in passing your exams, it will be a priority for them.” B. Murtagh Philip clearly has a passion for Equity and the Law of Trusts, and it’s difficult to ignore the contagious nature of that passion and enthusiasm. The course is broken into the sort of digestible, logical content and lectures that only comes with great knowledge and experience of teaching at the FE-1 level. “ T. Murray Trish lectured in Property Law. She transformed what is one of the least popular subjects into an enjoyable, examfocused course which was understandable and informed. By minimising time spent on less-examinable topics the course was covered in a relaxed manner which focused on those topics that consistently arise.” A. Kelly
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Excellent classes either in person or online. Good, focused manuals. Approachable and very helpful lecturers. As a ‘first timer’ and a more ‘mature’ student, I couldn’t recommend Philip Burke and all of his team at City Colleges highly enough.” Ronan Mackay 2011/2012
It was my pleasure and privilege to have studied Equity under Philip Burke. His clear, concise lecture manner, excellent notes and affability contributed enormously to my pass mark in the FE1 subject. He was always completely approachable, generous with his time and inexhaustibly good humoured, all of which assisted enormously with getting through the exam. I would recommend anyone who is serious about passing the Equity FE1 first time round to enrol with Philip.” Angel Strickland Fahy 2011/2012 I did the online course for Property, Tort, Equity, and Criminal Law. I found the manuals concise and reader friendly. Moodle was a great support system and I could study at my own pace without missing out. I was very impressed with the course delivery and will do the other four subjects here. I have recommended City Colleges to others, and will continue to do so.” Monique Thomas 2011/2012 Mark Cockerill was my FE1 company law teacher, and I found him to be an excellent, humorous and approachable teacher. His enthusiasm for the subject is infectious, even at 9am on a Saturday morning, so it came as no surprise to me to learn that he had won first place in the company law exam in the FE1s”. Catherine Moran
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About Our Lecturers Philip Burke, LL.B, BL Philip is a graduate of the University of London and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1998 and established Griffith College’s Professional Law School in the same year. He was Head of the Professional Law School at Griffith College for nine years, and Joint Head of its Undergraduate Law School. He was also a member of its board of directors. Philip founded Independent Colleges in 2007, and served as its Chief Operating Officer and Joint Head of Law. In 2011 he established City Colleges (incorporating Ashfield College), a professional education provider specialising in Law, Accountancy, Business & Computing, Childcare and Psychology. He has also co-written a text on Irish Tort Law for Thomson Roundhall, and is the co-founder of Clarus Press Limited, a legal publishing house.
Brendan Foley, BA, BL Brendan graduated with a degree in English Literature from Trinity College in 1996. He was called to the Irish Bar in 2005, and has been in practice at the Bar and lecturing on professional courses since 2006. He was awarded the Antonia O’Callaghan prize for Constitutional Law in 2004. Brendan has lectured in Constitutional Law, Equity and the Law of Trusts, Company Law and European Law for FE-1 candidates since 2008. He has also lectured on the Kings Inns Entrance Examination course in Constitutional law since 2008. Brendan lectures in Constitutional and EU law in the FE1 and King’s Inns programmes.
Mark Cockerill, LL.B, LL.M Mark completed the LLB degree from Nottingham Trent University in 2003 and an LLM from Trinity College Dublin in 2004. He completed the FE1 examinations in 2004 and was awarded 1st place overall in Company law. He was also awarded 1st place in the Law Society of Ireland’s Debating & Negotiating Competition. He is a practicing solicitor. Mark lectures in Company, Contract and Criminal law on City College’s FE1 and King’s Inns programmes.
Patricia Cronin, ILEX Dip, Solicitor Patricia qualified as a solicitor in 2005, having previously worked as a Legal Executive. During her studies with the Law Society she was awarded the Law Society Business Law Prize in 2003. She specialises in Criminal and Property law and lectures the Property law module on the FE1 course.
Ciarán Lawlor Ciarán Lawlor is a practicing Barrister and an experienced legal educator. Ciarán graduated from University College Dublin with an Honours Degree in Law, and proceeded to study at the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns . He completed his studies at the King’s Inns and was called to the Irish Bar in 2005. He subsequently completed an LLM in European Law also at UCD, graduating with distinction. Prior to commencing practice at the Irish Bar, Ciarán interned with leading Irish law firm A&L Goodbody, and with Amnesty International (Ireland), and was an IRCHSS funded project assistant on the EU Law PhD project at UCD. His practice focuses on civil law, with an emphasis on contract and commercial litigation, debt-collection, defamation, personal-injuries, and tort la generally. Ciarán has a broad experience of teaching law. He has been a Senior Tutor in UCD, and has lectured in tort law on the Graduate Diploma in Arbitration in UCD. Ciarán lectures in Tort law in the FE1 and King’s Inns programmes.
Ronan Lupton Ronan Lupton is a practicing Barrister, specialising in the areas of commercial law, Chancery, defamation, intellectual property / copyright and competition law. Prior to practice he spent 12 years in various regulatory and engineering roles in the Internet and communications markets, including as Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Verizon Business in Ireland. He is Chair of ALTO and the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland and is a member of the Department of Justice Internet Safety Advisory Council; the Irish IPv6 Task Force; and the Irish ENUM Policy Advisory Board. He holds a BA (Management), M.Sc. (Strategic Management), Dip Legal Studies and the degree of Barrister-at-Law (King’s Inns).
Pamela Morton Faculty Manager Pamela Morton has worked in professional legal education since 2003. She was Course Administrator for Griffith College’s Professional Law School from 2003 to 2007, and Faculty Manager for the Law School at Independent Colleges from 2007 until 2011. She has a wealth of experience in meeting and exceeding the expectations of students attempting professional law examinations.
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Our professional law programmes are offered on a taught basis from South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2 and Templeogue, Dublin 6W, as well as online throughout the country. Lectures are streamed live as well as recorded and made available for review online. We also offer a homework correction facility. Students may submit homework by email, post or in person, and it will be corrected and returned within 4 days. Our team of lecturers and tutors are available to help students with any queries and may be contacted by email, phone or, alternatively, a private tutorial can be arranged.
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Qualification Information Solicitors The Final Examination - First Part (FE-1) is the entrance examination to the Law Society of Ireland. Only those who have passed or gained exemption from the Preliminary Examination can sit this examination. It is held twice a year, normally in Spring and Autumn.
Training Contract Applicants must secure a training contract before they can apply for a place on the PPC I. The Training Contract is 24 months in duration and commences 14 days after the final examination on the Professional Practice Course I (PPC I).
It consists of the following eight papers, Company Law, Constitutional Law, Law of Contract, Criminal Law, European Union Law, Equity, Real Property, and the Law of Torts.
Breakdown of 24-month Training Contract
Students must complete all the examinations before proceeding to the training programme. On your first sitting you must attempt a minimum of four examinations and pass three of those to continue. Training Programme The in-office training period is the core of the training programme. Training solicitors are required to provide the trainee solicitor with reasonable and appropriate instruction and experience in the are or legal practice set out, respectively, in Block 1 and Block 2 (below) AND in two of the remaining three Blocks (3, 4 and/or 5): Christmas, Easter and Summer. Block 1 Conveyancing and Landlord and Tenant Law Block 2 Litigation Block 3 Wills, Probate and Administration of Estates Block 4 Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Insolvency Law Block 5 Criminal Law and Procedure, Employment Law, European Union Law, Family Law, Intellectual Property Law, Pensions Law, Planning and Environmental Law, Revenue and Taxation Law, Other specialised area(s) or legal practice [of/or?]
In office training post-PPC I
11 months
Attendance on PPC II
3 months
In-office training post-PPC II
10 months
OR In-office training pre-PPC I
4 months (max)
In-office training post-PPC I
11 months
Attendance on PPC II
3 months
In-office training post-PPC II
6 months
Pre-PPC I Credit A trainee may apply for credit (up to a maximum of four months) for work done pre-PPC I in the office of a training solicitor or other practising solicitor within the jurisdiction of the State. It must be completed in one block within the six months immediately preceding attendance on the PPC I. In-office training pre-PPC I is optional.
Secondments A trainee, with the prior consent of the Education Committee and their training solicitor, may spend up to a maximum of 8 months of the in-office training period working in employment elsewhere other than in the training solicitor’s office. Under the current Education and Training Regulations, trainees are allowed engage in work (in Ireland or abroad) provided it “....would be advantageous to such a trainee in the furtherance of his/her education or training (or both) and his preparation for admission to the solicitor’s profession”. The application to the Education Committee should include: • a letter from the training solicitor, • a letter from the trainee, and • a letter from the prospective employer.
Training Programme The Training Contract proper commences fourteen days after the final examination on the PPC I.
PPC Courses The Law School runs two full-time courses in Dublin for trainees - the Professional Practice Course I and the Professional Practice Course II (PPC I & PPC II). The full-time courses are practice-oriented and instruction is given mainly by practising solicitors and Law Society staff. The courses are assessed through continuous assessment and end of course examinations.
The PPC II usually commences in April each year and runs for 11 weeks, inclusive of examinations.
Professional Practice Course II (PPC II) 11 months into the 24-month training period, the trainee returns to the Law School to attend the PPC II. This course is 12 weeks in duration and is counted as part of the 24-month training period. Having completed the PPC II, the trainee must return to the office of the training solicitor and complete the outstanding period of time - ten months if the trainee has not gained credit for work done prior to PPC I, or six months if credit has been obtained.
The subjects covered on the PPC II are Professional Practice, Conduct and Management (compulsory) and a range of elective choices under the three headings of Business, Practice & Procedure, and Private Client. A full list of electives is available from the Law Society’s Law School.
The Professional Practice Course I (PPC I) Eligible applicants for the PPC I must have: • Passed, or gained exemption from the Preliminary Examination • Passed the Final Examination - First Part • Found a suitable (practising) solicitor to act as a training solicitor The PPC I takes place annually, usually commencing in September, running through until April (inclusive of examinations). PPC I Course PPC I 2012 Dublin - Tuesday 11th September 2012 - Friday 29th March 2013 The following are the subjects covered on the PPC I: • Foundation Course • Applied Land Law • Probate & Tax • Business Law • Litigation (Civil & Criminal) • Skills - Civil & Criminal Advocacy, Interviewing & Advising, Legal Research, Legal Presentation Skills, Legal Writing & Drafting, Negotiation & Professional Development.
Apply for Training Consent Before being eligible to start the training programme, applicants must apply to the Law Society for consent to start training. Evidence must be provided of good character, and any criminal convictions must be disclosed. The Law Society may interview applicants.
*Extracted from www.lawsociety.ie 10
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Entrance Examination There shall be an annual entrance examination for admission to the Barrister-at-Law degree course. The entrance examination shall be held once annually in the month of August or September. It shall comprise the following subjects: Law of Contract, Criminal Law, Irish Constitutional Law, Law of Evidence, Law of Torts No person shall be admitted as a student member of the Society (subject to the provisions of rule 12) for the course of education leading to the Barrister-atLaw degree course unless he has passed the annual entrance examination in all subjects. Mode of delivery of barrister-at-law degree. (a) The Barrister-at-Law degree will be delivered in two modes: (i) one-year full time course to be offered and provided on an annual basis, and (ii) two-year modular course to be offered on at least a biennial basis provided it is considered viable to do so in a particular year.
Barristers The Honorable Society of King’s Inns provides a course of education and training that enables its students to be admitted to the degree of barrister-at-law and to be called to the Bar of Ireland. Students choose one of the three categories in the sub-menu to the left depending whether you are a diploma applicant, degree applicant or specially qualified applicant.
Approved Law Degree
Approved Non-Law Degree
Mature Applicants
King’s Inns Diploma in Legal Studies (2 Years Part-time)
Entrance Examination
Degree Course (1 Year Full-time or 2 Year Modular)
Call to the Bar
Devilling (1 Year)
(c) In the event that the modular course is not provided in a particular year because it is not considered viable to do so, the modular course will be offered the following year and will be provided that following year so long as it is considered viable to do so. Eligibility to sit the Annual Entrance Examination (a) In order to be eligible to sit the entrance examination a candidate shall be required to hold either: (i) an approved degree, or (ii) an approved post-graduate diploma. (b) A candidate seeking to take the entrance examination must lodge the appropriate application form not later than the 30 May in the year in which he seeks to undertake the examination. An applicant who is in the process of acquiring the necessary educational qualifications may apply on a provisional basis not later than the 30 May and the application shall be treated as conditional upon such qualifications being acquired not later than the 6 July in the year in which he seeks to undertake the examination. Applications are also accepted on payment of a late fee up to 6 July in the year which he seeks to undertake the examination. Fees must be paid in accordance with the directions that are laid down by the Society. (c) A candidate shall pay the prescribed fee with the application. (d) All candidates will be required to indicate when applying for the entrance examination whether they
*Extracted from the Rules of The Honorable Society of King’s Inns 12
(b) The modular course shall be considered to be viable in a particular year if there are at least 32 successful candidates who accept places on it. The Society may at its discretion provide the modular course if there are fewer than 32 successful candidates who accept places on it.
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wish to attend the one-year full-time course or the twoyear modular course. (e) Eligible candidates who wish to undertake the modular course shall be permitted to sit the entrance examination whether or not the modular course is being offered that year. If successful they shall be permitted to defer (subject to the provisions in rule12 below). Disqualifications No person shall be eligible to be a candidate for the annual entrance examination if: (i) he is engaged in any occupation which, in the opinion of the benchers of King’s Inns, is incompatible with the position of a student seeking to be called to the Bar; or (ii) he is for any reason considered by the benchers to be unsuitable for admission. Marks and Standards (a) To be awarded a pass in the entrance examination a candidate must achieve marks of at least 50% in each subject. A Candidate who fails more than one subject shall not be permitted to pass the examination. A candidate who fails one subject shall be permitted to pass provided that the failure in that one subject does not fall below 45%. (b) A candidate who attains aggregate marks of 70% or over shall be awarded first class honours. Candidates who receive aggregate marks of 60% or over shall be awarded second class honours. (c) Candidates who take the entrance examination shall pass all subjects in one sitting subject to the above provision concerning compensation. No exemptions in any subject shall be allowed. Candidates are not allowed to transfer results from one year into a subsequent year. Exemptions Candidates who take the annual entrance examination shall pass all subjects in one sitting subject to the above provision concerning compensation. No exemptions in any subject shall be allowed. Candidates will not be allowed to transfer results from one year into a subsequent year. Eligibility to resit the Annual Entrance Examination (a) Candidates who sit and fail the entrance examination shall be permitted to re-sit the entrance examination in all subjects in two subsequent years only. In order to re-sit the entrance examination, the candidate must submit a new application. (b) Candidates who sit and pass the entrance examination and who have declined to take up their place [except candidates who are permitted to defer in accordance with rule 12(c)] shall have two further attempts at the entrance examination. In order to re-sit the entrance examination, the candidate must submit a new application.
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Live Lecture Broadcasting/Online Our FE1 and King’s Inns lectures are streamed online live, as well as recorded and available for review through Moodle. The lectures remain online until the end of the examinations so students can access them as many times as necessary during their revision.
Moodle provides students with course information, lecture notes, library resources and examination information. Students will be provided with a username and password with which they can access the lectures and all the online content through their PCs at home or anywhere they have internet connection.
Students watching the live webcasts can submit questions to the lecturers through Coveritlive, a chat system for students to interact with the class. This system is moderated by a member of the faculty.
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How to Enrol You can apply online at www.citycolleges.ie, or you can complete the application form available on the website and return it to the Admissions Office. You can also request a hard copy application form by contacting the School of Professional Law on 1850 25 27 40 or info@citycolleges.ie Postal Address: Course Admissions School of Professional Law City Colleges Wicklow House 84-89 George’s Street Dublin 2 Tel: 1850 25 27 40 Email: info@citycolleges.ie Dublin and Online Facilities • Library and study rooms available in our Dublin City Centre and Templeogue locations • Printed materials provided • Lectures streamed live on Moodle with online chat facility • City centre location in Dame Street, convenient for bus, LUAS, DART, etc • Southside location in Templeogue with extensive car parking facilities • Around the clock support by telephone and email.
City Colleges also delivers professional programmes in the following discipline areas from our City Centre campus, our campus in Templeogue, Dublin 6W, and throughout Ireland online: School of Professional Accountancy • ACCA Revision Courses • ACCA Certified Accounting Technician Courses School of Arts, Business & Computing • Diploma in Journalism, with John Waters • Diploma in History, with Myles Dungan • Diploma in Family History, with Myles Dungan • Diploma in Digital Marketing • Diploma in Business • Certificate in News Journalism • EDI Teachers’ Diploma in Information Technology • European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) • Advanced ECDL • A+ CompTIA • N+ CompTIA • Basic Computer Skills School of Professional Law • Law Society of Ireland’s Entrance Examinations (FE1) Preparatory Course • Diploma in Legal Studies • Honorable Society of King’s Inn Entrance Examinations Preparatory Course. School of Psychology • Diploma in Psychology • Diploma in Counselling Psychology • Diploma in Criminology & Criminal Psychology • Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy • CPD Courses in Motivational Interviewing Childcare • Diploma in Childcare • Diploma in Montessori Education
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Contact Us City Colleges
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Telephone: 1850 25 27 40 Email: info@citycolleges.ie
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Cypress Grove Road
● Main Street, Templeogue, Dublin 6W, Ireland.
Cypress Grove South
● Wicklow House, 84-89 South Gt George’s Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
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City Colleges Templeogue Campus
South Great George’s Street
Blackhall
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Butterfield Avenue
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City Colleges ● Wicklow House, 84-89 South Gt George’s Street, Dublin 2, Ireland ● Main Street, Templeogue, Dublin 6W, Ireland. Telephone: 1850 25 27 40 Email: info@citycolleges.ie www.citycolleges.ie 20
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