2023 Trainee Solicitor Registration
Welcome to the 2023 process for registration as a student of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
Your correspondence from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) will have noted that a condition of entry to the PgDip in Professional Legal Studies (the "solicitor course") is formal registration with the Law Society of Northern Ireland. The registration process, as outlined below, is your commencement of this formal requirement and you will be applying to register as a student of the Society, commonly referred to as a trainee or trainee solicitor. All necessary paperwork is available for download at the base of this page.
SUPPLEMENTARY FORMS
As part of your registration you will need to upload some signed documents. Please download the following documents, have them signed, witnessed and dated before you start the online registration form:
EF1B Petition for Registration as a Student and Supplementary Declaration
The EF1B document comprises two separate forms, the Petition and the Supplementary Declaration.
The Petition is your formal oath that all information supplied as part of your registration is true, as well as matters relating to bankruptcy and convictions. Your Petition must be sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths (see Art 76(1) Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, "...every solicitor who holds a practising certificate which is in force shall have all the powers conferred by any enactment on a commissioner for oaths..."). It must not be sworn before your Master.
The Supplementary Declaration is your formal declaration to the Society with respect to any cautions and/or convictions. It must be hand-signed and dated by you.
EF1E Indentures of Apprenticeship (“training contract”) and EF1Ei Code of Conduct
The Indentures of Apprenticeship (“training contract”) is the legally binding agreement between yourself and your Master. It can be witnessed by a member of the firm/organisation. Please review the training contract alongside the Guidance on Indentures document.
Your Master and yourself should review, sign and date the Code of Conduct.
Copies of your Contract and Code of Conduct should be kept by your Master and yourself for future reference.
EF1F Confirmatory Note for Masters
You should supply this Note for your Master to complete. Once complete it should your Master should returned it to you for uploading with your registration. It must be hand-signed and dated by your Master.
These forms should be completed electronically so that they are legible but, where applicable, the signatures and date should be completed by hand.
ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM
In order to register with the Society you must complete the following online form. This is your official application for registration with the Society and as such you should ensure you have all necessary information, supplementary forms and supporting documents ready to go before commencing. The form cannot be paused or saved for completion later.
Please refer to the EG13 Guidance Notes before you start to complete your form. It includes a checklist for your reference and a step-by-step guide to each section of the online form.
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM
If you should have any questions before or after your submission, please email the Professional Development team at registration@lawsoc-ni.org.
Documents