Interviews

Name: Kean Kavanagh
Title: Auditor of the Law Soc
Degree: Senior Sophister Year Law Student

How did you initially get involved with the Law Soc?
I got involved with Law Soc in a kind of accidental way. A lot of my friends were going abroad on Erasmus and the morning that the nominations for the following year’s committee were due to be submitted my friends talked me into applying. To be honest, I had been apathetic to the idea of becoming part of a society in such an involved way up to that point, but I thought it might be a fun thing to do and an easy way to make new friends while most of my year would be away. It was quite surprising to me to get elected, and I truly was delighted because I’d never put myself out there in this sense before. Being a part of this society led me to become a much more productive person.

What are you studying in Trinity and how are you benefiting from your involvement in the society?
I’m a Law Student in my 4th and final year of study. The benefits of being involved in this society have been absolutely enormous to me. Society life just gives you a really comfortable way to meet other people and make friends. I have never felt so confident in my life. I feel very capable to do the things that I am passionate about, and I have gained a lot of experience through the responsibility that’s been placed on me, experience that I could not have gained in any other way as a college student.

Tell us briefly about the work of the Law Soc?
The Law Soc is in its 82nd session this year. We run some of the largest social events in college. We attract fantastic guest speakers, which we recognise with our Trinity Praeses Elit Award. We run several different competitions throughout the year, with fantastic prizes such as internships on Capitol Hill in Washington. These competitions include Debating, Mock Trial, Moot Court, and Commercial Negotiations. We run two trips away for students, both national and international. We founded the national ‘Jailbreak’ charity event. Jailbreak is a student race to a destination in Europe with no money of your own. Last year we raised over €60,000 for charity. We also run Law Day, an annual day of fundraising for a charity of our choosing. In addition to all this, we run careers events for students in order to help them make decisions regarding their future when they leave college. We are an incredibly diverse society in terms of the ways in which we serve our members.

What has been your proudest moment in your term so far?
My proudest moment personally was probably during our first speaker of the year with Sarah Rafferty, who plays Donna in Suits. I’d always been quite wary of public speaking and a little nervous generally, and when I managed to get through that with no issues I felt a lot more confident in myself, and that’s carried through the whole year.

Who will be visiting the Law Soc in 2016?
We have several exceptional speakers coming this year; Baroness Hale of the UK Supreme Court; Mo Ibrahim, entrepreneur and telecommunication billionaire, who will be awarded by former Law Soc Auditor and President of Ireland Mary Robinson; and Larry King, one of the world’s most famous broadcasters. We can’t wait to meet them all!

The society hosts events such as the Law Ball, the Swing Ball, MasqueRave. Why are these events so important in contrast to the debates you host?
These are nights which students plan months in advance, and they can shape your whole college experience. It’s at events like these where 1st year students make new friends, friends for life, Erasmus students meet new people, and 4th year students go to have one last nostalgia filled party before they graduate. While our debates and speakers can open people’s minds to new and challenging ideas, our social events are essential to the growth of our members in many other respects.

Tell us something we didn’t know about the society?
Whoever originally created the name of our Trinity Praeses Elit Award for guest speakers obviously wasn’t a scholar of Latin, as it translates roughly as “The President’s Soup”. While this can be tricky when a guest asks for the translation, I absolutely love that there is this element of absurdity to something which is obviously so important to us and quite prestigious. The question has been raised a few times whether it should be changed, but I think it serves as a reminder not to take things too seriously which can often happen when you’re in the bubble that is Trinity. A big shout out to all the Soupy Presidents that have honoured us with their presence.

What ways can alumni get involved with the society?
Alumni who have legal careers can help by giving input into our competitions or providing links to potential guest speakers. You can also get in touch if you want to share a few stories or memories, it’s always great to hear about prior committees, and we love it when alumni reach out to us in that way. Please contact the Law Soc if you’d like to get involved auditor@tcdlawsoc.com.