Safest area to practice?

Johnny Utah

What is the most recession-proof area of law for a solicitor to specialise in?

And how would one get into that area?

eagle_&_bear

Johnny Utah wrote: »

What is the most recession-proof area of law for a solicitor to specialise in?

And how would one get into that area?

simply put: Crime/Criminal Law

How would you get into the area? well assuming you've passed all 8 FE1's, and you have a placement you have to spend certain amount of time in each area.

After you qualify either move to specialising firm (some exceptional ones in Dublin and around the country) or try get assigned to the criminal division of the firm who hires you.

simplistic answer but, do you have a more specific question?

dermot_sheehan

Crime is recession proof until the state gets around to setting up a public defender system theres been talk about, then unless you specialise in crime and are on the panel you're shafted.

eagle_&_bear

Well come to Court 5 CCJ any day and tell me crime rates are falling!

As for crime being more close-shopped! I havent come across that -but like any area of practice, contacts are key. The one reason why I like it more is you specialise (to a degree) whereas with general - it is harder to break into that as it takes longer to create your name/practice

plus with crime- if you get on the legal aid board, at least theres a chance of regular pay. whilst in civil, you wait until the end of the case: to me, in my opinion, crime is more recession proof than civil work

but thats the joys of having a dual practice!!

Arsenal1986

gabhain7 wrote: »

Crime is recession proof until the state gets around to setting up a public defender system theres been talk about, then unless you specialise in crime and are on the panel you're shafted.

Has there really been talk of a public defender system?!

dats_right

Haven't the State, in addition to refusing to pay increases due to practioners under the criminal legal aid scheme, cut fees payable firstly by 8% and recently by an additional 8%?

Johnny Utah

Don't think I could practice criminal.

Would it be possible to specialise in areas like family law/ probate/ road traffic law/ company liquidation etc. and would those areas be fairly recession proof?

impr0v

Construction dispute resolution has, perhaps surprisingly, always been largely recession-proof.

In the current climate there is plenty of contentious work as subcontractors chase contractors and contractors chase developers and developers chase non-completing clients. It's not always easy to get paid but it can be lucrative depending upon the results you obtain.

It will take about 18 months to work through the current wave. By that time, all the contractors and subcontractors that are winning what little work there is to be won by tendering suicidal rate will have no choice but to make claims up the chain so as to avoid shouldering a huge loss. That will take another few years to sort out and, by that time, history suggests that the construction sector will be slowly increasing in volume, which naturally generates its own workflow.

Slightly cleaner than crime too.

johnfás

impr0v wrote: »

Construction dispute resolution has, perhaps surprisingly, always been largely recession-proof.

The problem in this climate is not finding the work, it is getting paid for it.

impr0v wrote: »

Slightly cleaner than crime too.

Debatable.

eagle_&_bear

dats_right wrote: »

Haven't the State, in addition to refusing to pay increases due to practioners under the criminal legal aid scheme, cut fees payable firstly by 8% and recently by an additional 8%?

Yes, fees have been cut considerably over the recent months. Over the past year, the fees have come down by 22% in total so it is becoming serious.

eagle_&_bear

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Don't think I could practice criminal.

Would it be possible to specialise in areas like family law/ probate/ road traffic law/ company liquidation etc. and would those areas be fairly recession proof?

Road Traffic Law is Criminal

Family- I have friends working in family law, the work is fairly slow at the moment. It wouldnt be recession proof per se, but it is very good work..

Probate- the ass is gone out of that area for a good while

Company liquidation- its very hard to get into it.

maidhc

There is no area of law "recession proof", and any areas that are doing well are by definition niche areas and not ones that are exactly big employers.

We do a mix of everything, and I think in a small practice, reputation, marketing and generally making good business decisions are possibly more important than the area of law you are practicing.

Victor

impr0v wrote: »

Slightly cleaner than crime too.

At least with criminal work some of the clients plead guilty.

eagle_&_bear

Victor wrote: »

At least with criminal work some of the clients plead guilty.

HAHA

johnnyskeleton

Victor wrote: »

At least with criminal work some of the clients plead guilty.

But on the bright side, some of them are up for a bit of a fight.

RE: Recessionary areas of practice, for insolvency/examinership practitioners it was a close call, but they just about managed to survive the boom.

For my two cents, versatility and the ability to adapt to a changing work landscape is the key to surviving in any successful business.

Jo King

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

For my two cents, versatility and the ability to adapt to a changing work landscape is the key to surviving in any successful business.

This is the Kings Inns Student who made the following quote

"you can make an income in your first few years - if you get one JR, one trial on indictment or one junior brief in the HC/SC, you will make more money than your fees and your other practise expenses. You won't make much but it is an income, however inferior it may seem to you."

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...070993&page=11

who then refused to answer, after he was called just how many JRs, trials on indictment and junior briefs in the HC/SC he had secured.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...5420399&page=3

Victor

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

But on the bright side, some of them are up for a bit of a fight.

There is little use in producing a mass of billable hours if the client can't pay.

jimmylawman

Jo King wrote: »

This is the Kings Inns Student who made the following quote

"you can make an income in your first few years - if you get one JR, one trial on indictment or one junior brief in the HC/SC, you will make more money than your fees and your other practise expenses. You won't make much but it is an income, however inferior it may seem to you."

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...070993&page=11

who then refused to answer, after he was called just how many JRs, trials on indictment and junior briefs in the HC/SC he had secured.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...5420399&page=3

Jo why are you so down on johnny all the time? I've seen you post this comment on a number of threads now. Does it really matter what someone said on a post on a bulletin board two years ago? Anyway who knows whether he was right or wrong - all posts are just opinions.

johnnyskeleton

Victor wrote: »

There is little use in producing a mass of billable hours if the client can't pay.

What if they can sign a legal aid statement of means?

jimmylawman wrote:

Jo why are you so down on johnny all the time? I've seen you post this comment on a number of threads now. Does it really matter what someone said on a post on a bulletin board two years ago? Anyway who knows whether he was right or wrong - all posts are just opinions.

I suspect he or she has difficulty distinguishing between fact, opinion and mere speculation. That, or he/she finds it hard to say anything else by reason of the massive chip on his or her shoulder.

shaneybaby

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

What if they can sign a legal aid statement of means?

Are you still referring to civil work rather than criminal? No legal aid in ireland for anything but criminal (afaik)

Arsenal1986

There is Civil Legal Aid in Ireland.

shaneybaby

Arsenal1986 wrote: »

There is Civil Legal Aid in Ireland.

Wow. so there is
http://www.legalaidboard.ie/LAB/Publishing.nsf/Content/Home

It seems mostly to deal with Family Law and Refuge appeals etc.

Individuals only plus i'm not sure if Debt collection/commercial matters would fall under their remit.

_JOE_

shaneybaby wrote: »

Wow. so there is
http://www.legalaidboard.ie/LAB/Publishing.nsf/Content/Home

It seems mostly to deal with Family Law and Refuge appeals etc.

Individuals only plus i'm not sure if Debt collection/commercial matters would fall under their remit.

Judgment of 18 June 2009 in the case of Caroline McCann v Judge of Monaghan District Court

maidhc

_JOE_ wrote: »

Judgment of 18 June 2009 in the case of Caroline McCann v Judge of Monaghan District Court

The position still however stands that no one will get legal aid unless they are in immediate peril of being put in the pokey.

We basically don't have civil legal aid.

johnnyskeleton

shaneybaby wrote: »

Are you still referring to civil work rather than criminal? No legal aid in ireland for anything but criminal (afaik)

Criminal

maidhc wrote: »

We basically don't have civil legal aid.

One of the criteria is that there is a reasonable chance of success but anyone who has a case with a reasonable chance of success can usually get a privately retained solicitor. However, in some circumstances where no private solicitor will act civil legal aid is given. It's more likely to be given in rights type cases rather than disputes over money/damages.