Practising solicitor locations
2025 snapshot
-
12,961
Practising Certificates at year end, a 100% increase since 2000
-
25,364
on the Roll of Solicitors as of 31 December 2025 -
781
Admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2025
-
8,827(68%)
Practising Certificates held in Dublin -
4,134 (32%)
Practising Certificates held outside Dublin
-
3,442
In-house solicitors -
2,911
Private sector -
531
State bodies
-
8,827
In Dublin -
4,134
Outside Dublin
Top 20 employers of solicitors
As of 31 December 2025
| # | Firm / Organisation | Practising solicitors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A&L Goodbody LLP | 399 |
| 2 | Matheson LLP | 370 |
| 2 | Arthur Cox LLP | 344 |
| 4 | Mason Hayes & Curran LLP | 328 |
| 5 | McCann FitzGerald LLP | 289 |
| 6 | William Fry LLP | 220 |
| 7 | Chief State Solicitor’s Office | 208 |
| 8 | Byrne Wallace Shields LLP | 205 |
| 9 | Legal Aid Board | 144 |
| 10 | Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions | 128 |
| 11 | Central Bank of Ireland | 117 |
| 12 | RDJ LLP | 115 |
| 13 | Beauchamps LLP | 105 |
| 14 | Philip Lee LLP | 102 |
| 15 | Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP | 97 |
| 16 | Allied Irish Banks plc | 95 |
| 17 | Addleshaw Goddard (Ireland) LLP | 86 |
| 18 | Dillon Eustace LLP | 84 |
| 19 | DLA Piper Ireland LLP | 79 |
| 19 | Fieldfisher Ireland LLP | 79 |
Age representation
The average age of a solicitor is 45. In 2025, the largest cohort of solicitors (33.2%) were aged between 40–49 years. This compares to 2015, when the largest cohort (38%) were aged between 30–39 years, reflecting the maturing of that generation within the profession
| Solicitor age | 2025 |
|---|---|
| 20 - 29 | 5.8% |
| 30 - 39 | 26% |
| 40 - 49 | 33.2% |
| 50 - 59 | 20.3% |
| 60 - 69 | 9.9% |
| 70 - 79 | 3.6% |
| 80+ | 0.5% |
| N/A | 0.6% |
| Decade of birth | Number of practising solicitors | % of practising solicitors |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s & 1990s | 2,733 | 21% |
| 1980s | 4,123 | 32% |
| 1970s | 3,391 | 26% |
| 1960s | 1,657 | 13% |
| 1950s | 815 | 6% |
| 1940s & 1930s | 159 | 1% |
| N/A | 83 | 1% |
Gender composition
Breakdown across whole of profession:
Newly qualified solicitors in 2025
Trainee locations
The PPC course requires candidates to secure a training contract with an eligible solicitor. The table below highlights where trainee solicitors held contracts in 2025. Three counties had no trainees.
