At the top of the legal game

It"s tough being a solicitor. Parodied by Shakespeare and Dickens, and not helped by recent headlines in Ireland, the legal profession really has to work hard to hold its own against some of the unscrupulous operators in its midst.One of the shining legal lights nationwide is solicitor John Shaw, who was recently appointed President of the Law Society of Ireland, and he admits that it"s been a difficult year.'It"s fair to say that we"ve had a couple of high profile cases in the last year where solicitors were struck off, with some cases still ongoing,' John told the Westmeath Examiner. 'Some of these solicitors had connection with the property boom, and they completely lost the run of themselves. But it doesn"t justify what they did.'He has also called for a 'better model' for the public inquiry system, acknowledging that there had been much resentment among members of the public at the fact that the Mahon Tribunal and other inquiries had lasted so long, making millionaires out of numerous lawyers, at great expense to the taxpayer.'The tribunals were effective in that they disclosed things in this country which should had never have been done,' John continued. 'But surely there"s a much better way of doing this. They lasted for an incredible period of time, and it"s hard to blame people for resenting it.'Leading the way in lobbying the Government for such changes is one of John"s central functions as President of the Law Society. Describing his appointment as a 'marvellous opportunity', he is the third Shaw to hold the position, previously held by his father Tom and grandfather Dermot.In the role, John represents thousands of solicitors in their dealings with the Government, be it for lobbying purposes or lodging submissions about legislation. The society also oversees the regulation of the legal profession in Ireland.A partner at J.A. Shaw & Co. Solicitors - now ensconced at the firm"s plush new premises in Marlinstown Business Park - John was educated at St. Mary"s CBS Mullingar and Clongowes Wood College, Kildare, before completing his BCL law degree at UCD. He qualified as a solicitor at Blackhall Place in Dublin, while serving as an apprentice at his father"s firm on Bishopsgate Street, Mullingar.Appointed to the Law Society role in November 2008, the affable Mullingar native faces a tough ten months in a harsh economic climate, balancing his presidential role with his day-to-day duties as a solicitor.'There"s scarely a firm not suffering in Ireland,' he remarked. 'We"ve had plans to expand our offices here, but the recession has put paid to that for a while.'But thankfully Irish solicitors are generally flexible, and the Irish people as a whole tend to be resilient. It"s important that everyone is able to adapt and be creative.'J.A. Shaw & Co. boasts a roster of ten solicitors, with a support staff of seventeen. Last year, the firm moved from Bishopsgate Street to Marlinstown, in a migration which John sees as wholly beneficial to their client base.'Times move on, and we felt that it was time to move away from Bishopsgate Street as the practice expanded,' John said. 'We"ve settled on a good spot here in Marlinstown, and it"s a lot more accessible, especially for our older clients.'Although he admits to missing life in the law business at the centre of Mullingar, John is still very much involved in the life of the town. A former member of Mullingar Choral Society, he has exercised his vocal chords with Mullingar Cathedral Choir over the past twelve years. He"s also a keen golfer, and can often be founded treading the greens at Mullingar Golf Club.John is married to Eileen, and they have two children, Caoimhe (12) and Patrick (10). Both kids are heavily involved with Mullingar Harriers, and John enjoys watching them take part in local sports.'We"re so lucky in Mullingar. I"ve played tennis and rugby here in the past, and the facilities have always been good. You can do everything in Mullingar. The same is true of the schools; both Caoimhe and Patrick go to St. Colman"s, and it"s got everything a young person could want.'Working in a general law practice, and with his impressive education, John has had a taste of all branches of the legal profession. After many years in the job, he still can"t resist the buzz of success.'There"s a huge sense of job satisfaction for solicitors, especially when a case goes well; when you successfully defend someone in court, particularly when you"re standing on your own two feet.'I miss the atmosphere of the District Court,' said John, who has for the most part been occupied with conveyancing and property law in recent years. 'It"s a great training ground for solicitors, but no matter what area of law you practise, you"ll find that you"re on call all of the time.'And while this is true of several professions, John maintains that it"s important to strike a balance, and to never 'lose sight of life'. With that in mind, he has some strong advice for people during these harsh economic times.'Do something, particularly if you"re a business person. Don"t just sit there. Maintain your "get up and go", keep your perspective, and you"ll find that things will eventually turn around.'In times like these, one of the best aspects of my job is that I"m in a position to advise, and to keep morale up.'