Editing Solicitor (section)

==Republic of Ireland==
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Solicitors in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] are represented and regulated by the [[Law Society of Ireland]]. It was formally established by Royal Charter in 1852. The legislative basis for its current role is set out in the Solicitors Acts 1954–2002.

In Ireland, it is quite possible to become a solicitor without holding a law degree; a few practising solicitors have no degree of any kind. Instead, individuals sit professional examinations which are set at degree level standard and undertake an intense apprenticeship programme.

The independence of most of Ireland in December 1922 as the [[Irish Free State]] was marked more by continuity with the British legal system than with change. The Free State later became a Republic in April 1949. The legal profession remained divided between [[barristers]] (or ''abhcóidí'' in Irish) and solicitors (or ''aturnaetha'' in Irish). There was some blurring of the distinction between their roles over the years. Notably, under Section 17 of the Courts Act 1971, solicitors were granted a right of audience in all courts, although in practice relatively few solicitors act as advocates for their clients in the Superior Courts.