The Student Experience
Orientation Week Schedule
Societies
Trinity College has over 130 societies and clubs, catering for all interests. Several societies cater specifically for law students, the Law Society, the European Law Students’ Association and the College Branch of the Free Legal Advice Centre Ltd.
D.U. Law Society
The Dublin University Law Society has become the second biggest society in the college with approximately 1,500 members. The society holds fortnightly debates. Invited guests and/or students speak on a wide range of subjects. The Society also organises mock trials, the ever popular Law Day and the infamous annual Law Ball.
F.L.A.C.
Free Legal Advice Centre
The Free Legal Advice Centre operates free legal advice clinics in Dublin. TCD F.L.A.C. assists with the telephone services and centres and also participates in fund raising activities.
E.L.S.A.
The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) is an association of law students based in almost 200 universities across Europe, its 25,000 student members benefiting from exchanges, summer job placements, their own magazine and legal journal and even taking part in activities at the UN. Essentially the two main events hosted by ELSA Trinity are the successful careers evening and the moot court competition. The former primarily caters for Junior Sophisters and Senior Sophisters and takes place at the beginning of first term. The moot court competition is arranged for Junior Freshmen during second term and the opposition is UCD. The event in the past has been presided over by a member of the judiciary.
Trinity College Law Review (T.C.L.R.)
Since 1998 Trinity College Law Society has been publishing a legal journal, the Trinity College Law Review. This was the first student law journal in Ireland.
The Hist and the Phil
The Hist and Phil are the two most active debating societies in college as well as being amongst the oldest in the world. The weekly debates (the Hist on Wednesday nights and the Phil on Thursday nights) in the GMB provide a forum for discussion of topical ideas as well as hearing the opinions of those in the ‘know’. Normally, weekly debates attract a regular crowd but for the big events it is better to turn up early. Private Business starts at 7.30pm with public business at 8.00 pm.