What was the Business Problem?
In 2008 the Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Act was passed to address the need to make the Irish / “Gaeilge” element of practicing solicitors more “relevant to practice”. The act replaced the old exam model with a required attendance module (LPI) on the PPCI course. The new statutory requirements under the legislation made it compulsory that all lawyers could demonstrate their ability to communicate with a client (i.e. meet & greet, use legal terminology phrases and refer to client to a practitioner who practices through Irish) through the Irish language. This transferred a new series of obligations to The Law Society including the:
1. Creation of an elementary course which meets the requirements of the Act at PPCI level
2. Implementation, maintenance and retention of evidence of course participant attendance