King's Inns Professional Conduct study guide
King's Inns Professional Conduct · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Degree of Barrister-at-Law is described by King's Inns as "the professional qualification for practice at the Irish Bar." King's Inns presents itself as Ireland's oldest school of law and its only Inn of Court, established in 1541, so the degree sits inside an institution that also provides dining, a library and a members' community rather than operating as a stand-alone course. The programme is offered full-time over one year or part-time in modular form over two years, which makes it relevant both to candidates who can commit a year to full-time study and to those who need to keep working while qualifying. The King's Inns Professional Conduct study guide has 4 sections and about 1,406 words.
01Professional Conduct and Ethics
This domain tests whether you can apply the Bar of Ireland's standards to realistic dilemmas: the Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland, the Constitution of the Bar of Ireland, the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 and the disciplinary machinery (the Barristers' Professional Conduct Tribunal and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal). Questions often turn on the four core duties-to the court and administration of justice, to the client, to the profession and to third parties-and on how they rank when they collide.
404 words, about 2 min02Professional Practice and Procedure
This domain tests practical litigation knowledge across the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, Circuit Court and District Court, in both civil and criminal matters. You need to know the steps, time limits and documents that move a case from instruction to hearing or appeal.
384 words, about 2 min03Legal Knowledge and Substantive Law
This domain tests the substantive law a barrister must bring to a brief: constitutional law, criminal law, contract, tort, property and equity, company law, evidence and EU law. The exam favours issue-spotting and the application of doctrine to short scenarios rather than essay memorisation.
300 words, about 2 min04Advocacy and Conference Skills
This domain tests the craft of advocacy and client conferencing: case theory, examination-in-chief, cross-examination, re-examination, opening and closing submissions, objections and the ethics of persuasion. It also tests how you prepare a client, advise on strengths and weaknesses and record instructions.
318 words, about 2 min