Introduction
This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of the current regulatory framework governing client care and professional standards in the legal profession under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. Led by solicitor Thomas Coughlan, the session will cover the roles of the LSRA, Review Committees, and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, with a focus on how complaints are made, investigated, resolved, and, where necessary, escalated. Attendees will gain practical guidance on responding to complaints, the processes involved in informal resolution and disciplinary hearings, and the sanctions that may be imposed.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
✔︎ Understand the key functions and responsibilities of the LSRA, Review Committees, and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
✔︎ Identify the types of complaints that may be made under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, and who can make them.
✔︎ Describe the criteria for the admissibility of complaints and the preliminary review process.
✔︎ Recognise the options available for informal resolution and the implications of engaging in mediation.
✔︎ Outline the procedural steps in responding to a complaint and participating in the complaint process.
✔︎ Understand the potential directions and sanctions that the LSRA, Review Committees, and the LPDT may issue.
✔︎ Appreciate the importance of compliance and the consequences of failing to adhere to regulatory determinations.
✔︎ Be aware of the appeal mechanisms available and when they can be invoked.
✔︎ Referrals to the Ethics and Guidance Committee of the Law Society of Ireland
Speakers
Thomas Coughlan
Tom is a Director of the IICPD, Chairperson of IILA and Council Member of the Law Society of Ireland, where he sits on the Regulation of Practice Committee. Tom is a solicitor with 25 years of practice experience as both an employed solicitor and as a principal of his own Firm.
Robert Baker
Rob is a solicitor in practice for 25 years and a partner at Jermyn Baker Solicitors in Cork. Rob is a past President of the Southern Law Association and a long-serving SLA Council member. He is a member of the Council of the Law Society of Ireland as an SLA nominee and sits on the Ethics & Guidance Committee of the Law Society.
