IN PICTURES: 80 newly admitted solicitors welcomed into the legal profession in Northern Ireland

The Assembly Buildings Conference Centre in Belfast was the venue for the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Admission Ceremony 2024.

The recent ceremony is an important event in the legal calendar marking the admission of the next generation of local solicitors.

This year over 200 family, friends and master’s supported the 80 newly admitted solicitors as they were presented by the Registrar of Solicitors, David A. Lavery CB to the Lady Chief Justice for Northern Ireland, Dame Siobhan Keegan and the Society’s President, Darren Toombs.

Following their admission, the Lady Chief Justice and the President took the opportunity to present the Solicitors Accounts Prize to Paige Clements.

The ceremony was also attended by the family of the late trainee solicitor, Edward Bergin, and a posthumous Admission Certificate and Professional Conduct Prize were presented to his father, Sean and mother Rosemary Bergin.

Following the formal ceremony, the newly admitted solicitors were joined by Dame Keegan and Registrar for a series of year group photographs.

Commenting on the admission of new solicitors the president of the Law Society, Darren Toombs, said: “Today we celebrate the achievement and admission of our newly qualified solicitors to the legal profession in the presence of the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, The Right Honourable Dame Siobhan Keegan and their Masters, families and loved ones.

“Today also presents us with an opportunity to remind ourselves of the contribution that the solicitor profession makes to our economy and its ongoing commitment to the community throughout Northern Ireland.

“On behalf of the Law Society of Northern Ireland I wish each of our newly admitted solicitors a successful and fulfilling career. I would also like to thank all of the masters who offered the training opportunities to the newly admitted solicitors, over the two year duration of their training contracts”.