VLPS meet Masters Degree Students at University College Dublin on Friday the 20th of June to discuss issues regarding the Law Society, including public confidence and protection of client’s money specifically and other issues.

John Gill from Clare led the VLPS group and the following members were also in attendance:

The VLPS group responded to a request for a client/consumer perspective and experience, e.g. of VLPS members when a complaint has been reported to the Law Society of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Key questions raised included:

  1. Do we believe the Law Society (in both parts of Ireland) is functioning properly in dealing with clients’ complaints against solicitors, such as Michael Lynn? The VLPS group explained how Michael Lynn had been identified on Rate Your Solicitor a very considerable time before the Law Society took any action.


  2. Are solicitors that are in the news for misappropriation of money belonging to clients being disciplined effectively by the Law Society? The VLPS group provided a copy of page 44 of the Law Society Gazette of June 2008 and drew attention to the photograph of 24 solicitors, with the heading: "Panel Workshop to assist solicitors. A workshop focusing on the panel of solicitors to assist solicitors in difficulty with the Law Society was held on 23 April 2008… The scheme exists to assist solicitors with their initial response to the Law Society following notice to the solicitor of a complaint or other difficulty in relation to their practice." The VLPS members with experience of referring a solicitor to the Law Society explained that there was no such ‘Law Society Panel’ to assist the client with their ‘initial complaint’. This is proof, if proof were needed, of ‘conflict of interest’ with the high priority given by the Law Society to protection of the solicitor and the ‘dismissive, obstructive and unhelpful’ response by the Law Society to a client making a complaint.