King's Inns Professional Conduct study plan

Map the Professional Conduct and Ethics syllabus into a one-page table listing every topic area, then rank each area by your current confidence from 1 to 5.

Reproduce from memory the core duties an Irish barrister owes to the court, the client, and the profession, and write each duty in a single sentence in your own words.

Draft a personal conflict-of-interest checklist covering when to decline a brief, when to return a brief, and when to seek guidance, citing the governing principle behind each step.

Explain in writing the difference between the barrister's cab-rank rule and the situations in which a brief may properly be refused.

Analyse at least six hypothetical conduct scenarios and identify the specific duty engaged, the risk of breach, and the correct course of action in each.

Summarise the rules on client confidentiality, legal professional privilege, and the limits of both, distinguishing the two concepts in a short written note.

Set out the obligations around handling client money, undertakings, and fees, and list the practical red flags a barrister should watch for.

Draft written answers to four ethics short-answer questions under timed conditions (10 minutes each) and self-mark against the governing principles.

Compile the rules on professional advertising, social media use, and dealings with the media, and convert them into five do/don't rules for practice.

Outline the disciplinary process from complaint through to hearing, naming the stages and the barrister's rights and obligations at each.

Trace the life cycle of a civil brief from receipt of instructions to delivery of the brief, noting the procedural steps and the barrister's duties at each stage.

Build a flowchart of the professional conduct obligations triggered at each stage of a brief's life cycle.

Map the civil litigation timeline from initiating proceedings through to trial, listing the key rules and time limits at each stage.

Summarise the rules on pleadings, amendment, and the consequences of non-compliance with procedural deadlines.

Explain the structure and purpose of case management conferences and pre-trial procedures in your own written summary.

Write a one-page comparison of the main procedural differences between civil and criminal proceedings relevant to a junior barrister.

Draft a set of pleadings (statement of claim and defence) for a supplied fact pattern, applying correct form and content rules.

Outline the rules on discovery, interrogatories, and privilege in the discovery process, and apply them to two short scenarios.

Explain the procedure for appeals and the grounds on which an appeal may be brought.

Complete a timed 45-minute procedural problem question and mark it against a checklist you build yourself.

Map the substantive law syllabus into topic areas and rank each by exam weight and your confidence.

Consolidate the core principles of contract, tort, and criminal law into a condensed set of case-and-principle notes.

Apply the law to at least five short problem scenarios, identifying the legal issue, the governing rule, and the conclusion.

Write a one-page summary of the burden and standard of proof and how they operate across civil and criminal contexts.

Structure a conference with a client: prepare a conference plan covering objectives, information gathering, advice, and next steps.

Draft an opening statement and a closing submission for a mock civil trial, each limited to three minutes when spoken.

Practise examination-in-chief and cross-examination techniques on a supplied witness statement, recording yourself and noting three improvements.

Identify the rules on ethics in advocacy, including duties when examining a witness and when addressing the court.

Complete a full timed mock examination covering all four domains under exam conditions and mark it against the syllabus map.

Revisit every topic rated 1 or 2 in confidence during week 1 and rewrite a short summary of each.

Consolidate weak areas identified by the mock into a final one-page revision sheet.

Rehearse the ethics decision checklist and advocacy structure from memory to confirm retention.