There’s more than just books and lectures to be experienced as part of the Law programme at Trinity College Dublin. Sinead Flynn, our US International Student Ambassador, shares information about the benefits of getting involved with law societies…
Law in Trinity not only includes the classroom academic aspect, but also opportunities within the societies. Generally, a Law degree from Trinity is a four-year program. As Ireland is also based on a common law system, there are many similarities between the Irish law, and the law in the USA.
A less broadcasted idea to prospective students is the relation between societies and the degree program. There are three societies that directly deal with Law at Trinity. Nonetheless, there are many other societies that may be helpful to studies in Law.
I vividly remember the fresher’s week excitement of discovering all the different opportunities available with the different organisations as they were presented on Front Square. The three that caught a majority of my interest was the Law Society, the Free Legal Advice Center (FLAC), and the European Law Student’s Association (ELSA).
Each group plans speakers, events, and other social networking opportunities. I have had a first-hand insight into ELSA at Trinity, as I was elected one of the first year reps for this great group. Most recently ELSA celebrated ELSA Day by organising a free lunch to gather our members together to talk about all of the opportunities with this group. ELSA Trinity belongs to the overall ELSA Ireland group, and then also, ELSA Ireland belongs to the overall ELSA body that is spread throughout Europe.
An aspect of ELSA is the Student Trainee Exchange Programme (STEP). This allows students to gain experience working in a law related area in a different country. ELSA has many events that promotes networking of students and other bodies from countries all around Europe.
Our Trinity ELSA group is busy preparing an event already for next term. Our first event will include speakers from various different Barristers in Ireland. Each level of this career choice will be represented to provide the best and diverse insight into this field.
Through ELSA, Law Soc, and FLAC, I have made a wide range of new friends, attended many different events, and discovered the practical applications of learning Law as it applies to the world around.
Come study Law at Trinity and get involved in our great societies!
Interested in studying abroad? Visit the Education in Ireland website for more information