Navan student leading ‘Royal takeover’ of Trinity Law Society

A YOUNG law student from Donaghpatrick who is one of four Meath members of the Trinity College Law Society in Dublin is encouraging young people embarking on third level education to get involved in the college community.

Ruth Brady (20), is in final year of her law degree and auditor of TCD’'s Law Society. This year, the Law Society has four Meath students on its committee of 20 people and as one of Trinity’s largest and most prestigious societies in what the former Loreto student has described as "the Royal takeover!"

Trinity’s Law Society was founded in 1933. This 89 year-old society has been led by figures such as Mary Robinson, former auditor of the Law Society who became President of Ireland.

The fellowship has an array of strands including charity endeavours, events and social activities and Ruth's involvement has even made her decide to go in another direction that ironically isn't law based.

Speaking about the association she said: "We run mock trials, debating competitions, world championships and international intervarsities every year.

"We have three subcommittees: Charities, who raise money for causes such as the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Jigsaw, Outreach, who travel across the country in an effort to make law more accessible for students in disadvantaged areas; and Trinity Women in Law, a subcommittee that dedicates itself to breaking down the barriers to entry that females still face in the legal world.

"We have careers talks, we are launching an alumni network, we print publications and we give our members membership cards that guarantee them discounts in all the local hotspots,” she explains.

"We have been graced with talks from Bob Geldof, President Jean Claude Juncker, Patrick Dempsey, Daisy Edgar Jones, Laura Whitmore, Lady Hale and Niall Horan, to name but a few."

Being part of the society has taken her in a direction she never imagined intending to enter the world of public relations after college, as the law student explains:

"Every year I have spent working on this committee, is a year I did something I could never have imagined. Other committee members will tell you the same. Even our members will tell you that they didn't think coming to college was a chance for them to compete in international competitions, make best friends and build a tribe of like minded people who unite under one logo.

"It's through the Law Society that I've realised how I want to use my degree. I don't want to continue with law after my degree which I find so fascinating, it really opened up my opportunities. That's how you learn what you want to do outside of the classroom. Lectures are great but when I was the social secretary I was liaising with agents and publicists and I got a feel for that world so I'm going to explore that now."

Ruth says, the Meath cohort of society members is going strong with now four Royal County natives out of 20 in the group.

"Crea Shine, our second year rep, hails from Kilskyre. She went to Eureka in Kells and is now a second year law student who is responsible for organising the Law Society’s Freshers Week.

"Louise Cullen, our Erasmus officer, is also a Eureka girl from Gibbstown. So central is the Law Society to her college experience, that even during her year abroad in Bologna, Louise is staying involved.

"There is also Cormac Curtin, a Dunshaughlin native and our third year representative. It is Cormac's main role to not only keep the third years informed about what LawSoc is doing, but to organise a national trip for our members.

"College, no matter where you go, is brimming with opportunities that you don't know exist before you get there.

“So be relieved and anxious and excited and scared and be ready to step into the total unknown - because when you have no sense of what is in your reach, nothing is outside of your reach,” declares the former Loreto girl.