Look Into Law Transition Year Programme

Applications now open for the 2021 Look into Law TY Programme from The Bar of Ireland. All schools welcome to apply and there are no restrictions on numbers of schools as it is online. Please complete this application form to apply.

The Bar of Ireland's "Look into Law" Transition Year Programme is an exciting initiative aimed at increasing students' awareness of the work of The Bar of Ireland and to encourage students to consider a career as a barrister. This annual "Access all areas" programme aims to encourage schools and students from a wide cross-section of society to apply to take part. Due to Covid-19, this programme moves online for 2021. Although the programme will be different from the usual TY Programme, the advantage of it being online is that are no limits to number of schools and students who can apply.

Please apply here for your school’s place on The Bar of Ireland's Online Look into Law TY Programme 2021. This form can only be completed by a school's TY Co-ordinator or Guidance Counsellor and not individually by students.

The programme will be released online at 12pm each Monday for five weeks beginning on Monday 22nd February 2021 until Monday 22nd March 2021 for teachers and students to access in their schools or at home. This online content will be available for the five weeks so you can choose whether to use it each week or wait until near the end of the programme and use it over a couple of school days. We will require schools to verify student attendance so that we can issue certificates of attendance at the end. We will send details in mid to late January on how you will be able to access the programme, along with permission forms for students.

Schools and students will be actively encouraged to get involved with tasks suggested each week and to share them with the other schools. Full details on how to do this will issue nearer the time. We will also be encouraging engagement over social media with photos and contributions but this will be voluntary. Only schools who have signed up in advance through this application form will be able to access this online programme. Closing date for applications: Friday 18th December 2020.

Please contact transitionyear@lawlibrary.ie for any further queries. 

Programme Contents

In the mornings, participating students will be assigned to groups where they will shadow a designated barrister. They will be introduced to the many different facets of a barrister's working life and will have the opportunity to experience the reality of life as a barrister.

During the afternoons, the students will participate in a range of different activities and students are expected to attend all organised activities:

• Trial viewing
• A tour of King's Inns
• A tour of the Four Courts
• A walk-through of the Criminal Courts of Justice
• A talk from a member of An Garda Siochana
• A talk from a member of the DPP and a defence solicitor
• A talk from a sitting Judge
• A talk from a Legal Affair Correspondent
• Participate in an interactive Mock Trial

The highlight of the week is the mock trial, held in the Green Street Courthouse, where students participate in a case complete with judge and barristers. This provides the students with a unique, interactive experience where each student is given a role to play in the courtroom including defendant, witnesses and jury members.

Upon completion of the programme, each student is presented with a certificate to mark their participation.

FAQs – Transition year programme

Student Testimonials