PROGRAM

Arrivals at Blackhall Place

The home of the Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, will host the second half of the conference sessions. Blackhall place is approx. 20 mins walking distance or 5 mins. by taxi from the Hyatt hotel. 

8:45 - 10:15

Module 5: The importance of positive wellbeing and workplace culture in the legal                      profession

Wellbeing and workplace culture has been a concern facing the legal profession for many years, yet the global pandemic brought the issue to the forefront. It is now considered to be a priority risk for laws firms, their regulators and their professional indemnity insurers.

This session will explore the current landscape and discuss the key concerns drawing on the data from the groundbreaking Life in Law Surveys undertaken by LawCare. They will discuss how such risks can be minimized to ensure that the trust in lawyers and the services they provide be maintained and protect the longevity of the legal profession.

Next, you will learn about  the innovative Physcological Services program at the Law Society of Ireland. Founded just over three years ago to address the growing mental health and cultural challenges within the legal profession, this program was been built on the foundation of a therapeutic and educational service for trainee solicitors, expanded now to serve and support all solicitors and legal workplaces across the professional lifecycle. It offers a full clinical service, bespoke educational programmes and CPD, and impactful resources and toolkits. Its latest offering is a new consultancy initiative Well Within the Law, embedding a systemic and cultural change approach to wellbeing into legal workplace design. 

Moderator: Mark Garrett, Director General, Law Society of Ireland 

Speakers:

Dr. Joanne Cracknell, Director, Legal Services and Professional Indemnity, Willis (WTW)

Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare

Antoinette Moriarty, Head of Psychological Services for the Law Society of Ireland

10:15 -10:30

Break

Module 6: If I Had a Time Machine: What I wish I knew when I started as CEO of my         association

Though we come from every corner of the world, we have at least one thing in common – at one time we were all new to our role as a law association CEO.

In this free-flowing and interactive session (under Chatham House Rules, of course), seasoned participants will share key lessons learned, sometimes the hard way, that they wish they had known in the early days of their CEO careers. Everything from human resources challenges to Board dynamics to navigating relationships with Board Chairs, volunteers and members, and much more – the now wiser CEOs will provided vital takeaways for the newer recruits to help them avoid the pitfalls and surprises that sometimes accompany these challenging roles. It may be lonely at the top, but at IILACE, you are not alone!

Moderator:

Jonathan G. Herman, CEO, Federation of Law Societies of Canada

(IILACE Freshman Class of 2006, and President 2025-2026)

IILACE AGM

13:30 - 14:00

Lunch

Free Time

Bus Departure to Roe & Co. Reception

Bus departs from the Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin, to Roe & Co. for a pre-dinner reception.

18:30 - 19:30

Reception at Roe & Co Distillery

Join us for a special reception at the Roe & Co Distillery, located on Thomas Street in Dublin, near the iconic Guinness' St. James' Gate brewery. Established in 2019 and owned by Diageo, this Irish whiskey distillery is a tribute to the historic Irish distiller, George Roe. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience this modern distillery firsthand while enjoying the reception.

Bus Departure to Closing Dinner

Bus departs from the reception to Blackhall Place, the Law Society of Ireland, for the closing dinner

Closing Dinner at Blackhall Place

Return bus to Hyatt following dinner