On 29 August 2025, the Law Society announced an additional round of funding under its Small Practice Traineeship Grant Scheme, providing a further €25,000 grant to support small legal practices outside Ireland’s major cities in hiring a trainee solicitor. The initiative aims to strengthen smaller firms, ease financial barriers, and enable aspiring solicitors to train locally.
The competition is open to firms proposing a training contract for a nominated FE-1 candidate who will attend the PPC Hybrid Course beginning in December 2025. Applications must be submitted by 10 October 2025. Eligible firms must:
- be located outside Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway urban areas;
- employ five or fewer solicitors;
- comply with the scheme’s connected persons rule;
- commit to paying trainees at least the living wage (€14.80 per hour); and
- employ a trainee enrolled in the PPC Hybrid.
The grant reduces the financial burden on small practices while providing trainees with valuable opportunities to remain in their local communities and balance training with paid work. Earlier in 2025, five firms across Counties Cork, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon and Wicklow benefited from the scheme.
By launching this additional competition, the Law Society seeks to reinforce the role of small practices in supporting access to justice and sustaining local legal services, while also creating pathways for solicitor trainees who may otherwise face relocation or financial challenges. More details, including application forms and testimonials, are available on the Law Society’s Small Practice Grant webpage.