Irish lawyers may be either barristers or solicitors. Barristers are members of the Bar, the senior branch of the legal profession. They may be junior counsel (BL) or senior counsel (SC), and may be recognised by their traditional wigs and gowns. There are about 2,000 practising barristers in Ireland, most of them members of the Law Library in Dublin. Solicitors, who deal directly with the public, instruct (or "brief") barristers to appear in court or provide expert opinions. There are more than 6,500 practising solicitors in Ireland.

Barristers tend to appear in Court (particularly the higher Courts) and to be experts in particular areas of law. Solicitors tend to do more office work, although they have the right to appear in all Courts. Most judges in the higher Courts are still barristers, although solicitors have also been appointed as judges in the superior Courts. Barristers usually wear wigs and gowns in Court, except in family law and juvenile matters, but there is no longer a mandatory requirement to wear a wig. Barristers mostly operate from the Law Library and are sole practitioners. (The chambers system which exists in England is not used in Ireland). In contentious matters, a barrister may generally only be briefed by a solicitor and may not deal directly with a member of the public. However, the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011 includes proposals to change many of the ways law is practised in Ireland, including the limitations on direct access to barristers, multi-disciplinary partnerships and the regulation of the legal profession.

If you have a non-law degree, a foreign law degree or are a mature student with appropriate qualifications, you may be admitted to the two-year legal studies diploma course at the Kings Inns in Dublin. If you have an approved law degree, you may apply for entrance to the one-year full-time degree course at the King's Inns. From October 2008, this course was to be offered on a modular basis over a two-year period. The modular course will be offered at least every two years from 2008 on. Since 2002, admission to the degree course has been by examination for law graduates and diploma graduates. Approximately 100 places are available each year.

Students who successfully complete the degree course are admitted by the Chief Justice to the degree of Barrister-at-Law in a ceremony in the Supreme Court. They may immediately practise in all the Courts in Ireland, although the Bar Council, which regulates the profession, requires that new barristers must first complete a year of apprenticeship with an experienced barrister. This is known as "devilling" and the first-year barrister is known as a "devil".

Barristers do not have firms. They are sole practitioners and do not employ interns or other legal staff. If you are interested in working for a firm of solicitors, you should contact the Law Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7, telephone +353-1-6724800.