Law Society FE1 Entrance Examination Programme

Helen O’Sullivan

BA History and Sociology, Diploma in Legal Studies (Kings Inns), BL

Helen is a graduate of both University College Dublin and the Honorable Society of the Kings Inns. Having completed the Barrister-at-Law degree at the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns, she was called to the Bar in 2014.

She practises predominantly in the area of Succession Law and property law. Helen also lectures succession law as part of the City Colleges Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT) programme.

Ciarán Lawlor

BCL, LLM, BL

Ciarán Lawlor is a practicing Barrister and an experienced legal educator. Ciarán graduated from University College Dublin with an Honours Degree in Law, and proceeded to study at the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns. He completed his studies at the King’s Inns and was called to the Irish Bar in 2005. He subsequently
completed an LLM in European Law also at UCD, graduating with distinction.

Prior to commencing practice at the Irish Bar, Ciarán interned with leading Irish law firm A&L Goodbody, and with Amnesty International (Ireland), and was an IRCHSS funded project assistant on the EU Law PhD project at UCD. His practice focuses on civil law, with an emphasis on contract and commercial litigation, debt-collection, defamation, personal injuries, and tort law generally.

Ciarán has a broad experience of teaching law. He has been a Senior Tutor in UCD, and has lectured in tort law on the Graduate Diploma in Arbitration in UCD.

Conor Duff

LLB, BL,(NUI),LL.M.(Dubl.),B.L.,Dip. Construction

Conor Duff B.L., Dean of Law at City Colleges, lectures in the areas of Contract and EU law for FE-1 students, a selection of City Colleges’ Professional programmes and our BA (Hons) in Business Studies programme.

Conor is a seasoned lecturer and has a proven track record of academic delivery across other colleges and Universities, including the Law Society of Ireland.

He is a graduate of Maynooth University (LL.B.) (Hons.), Trinity College Dublin (LL.M.), the Honorable Society of King’s Inns (B.L.) and the Law Society of Ireland (Dip. Construction Law). He graduated from Maynooth University and Trinity College with
first-class honours degrees with distinction for his LL.M. Dissertation. He is a member of the EBA, CBA and Members’ Committee of the Irish Society for European Law.

Conor has published widely in various national legal journals including the Commercial Law Practitioner and the ICLJ. Conor was a co-editor of the leading EU Treaties text which is permitted for use in FE-1 and QLTT examinations. In addition to his legal practice, Conor volunteers.

John Deane-O’Keeffe

Doct. in Gister Studiorum (ad eundem Cantab.) (TCD) M.St. (Cantab.)
PgDipCrim. (Cantab.) MA (Laws) PgDipLaw (LMU) DipLS (TUD) LL.B. (UWE)
BA (UCD) CCTP (TCD) C.HEd (Oxon.)

John Deane-O’Keeffe is a Criminologist, Lecturer in Law & Forensic Psychology and a Historian. He is also a Journalist and Radio Broadcaster.

John is currently Dean, College of Criminology & Policing Studies at City Colleges, Dublin where he is also a Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law on the FE1 programme.

He is a Magistrate in England where he sits on the Northumbrian Bench and is also a Senior Lecturer at St Mark & St John University, Plymouth. Additionally, he is also a Tutor in the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Oxford, where he teaches Criminology & the Psychology of Criminal Behaviour.

John is formerly Adjunct Faculty at Trinity College Dublin where he was Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology. He also spent a decade as Head of the Law School at Dublin Business School and was Communications Director and Editor of the Garda Review at the Garda Representative Association.

John also worked for many years in the City of London as a Banker in UBS where he was an Associate Director in the Risk Management division before holding the position of Assistant Director in the Legal Department (Debt & Derivatives) at Investment Bank, ING Barings.

John has undertaken undergraduate studies in History, Law and Theology at UCD, TCD, Bristol and the University of Oxford and holds post graduate degrees in Criminology/Forensic Psychology and law from TCD, London Met and the University of Cambridge.

He holds a number of visiting posts at UK Universities and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Member of the Royal Historical Society. John also has a special interest in history and theology and the intersection of these two disciplines with all aspects of the criminal justice system.

Mark Curran

BBL, LLM (Cantab), Accredited Mediator

Mark is a practising barrister and an experienced legal educator. He graduated from University College Dublin with a First Class Honours Degree in Business and Law and subsequently completed an LLM at the University of Cambridge specialising in commercial
law. Mark completed the Barrister-At-Law Degree at the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and was called to the Irish Bar in 2012.

His practice focuses on civil law, with an emphasis on general contract and commercial litigation, employment law, personal
injuries law and regulatory law.”

Mark is also an experienced mediator and has a keen interest in sports law having sat as an arbitrator for the GAA Disputes Resolution Authority and on disciplinary panels for both
Leinster Rugby and the IRFU. Mark is a member of the New York State Bar having completed the New York State Bar Exam in 2014. He received a Bar of Ireland Scholarship in the summer of 2016 to take up a position as a visiting Attorney with the Wisconsin
Innocence Project which seeks to exonerate victims of wrongful convictions.

Mark was a law tutor at University College Dublin and a lecturer at Griffith College prior to joining City Colleges.

Simon Donagh

BCL(Phil),BL

Simon is a lecturer at City Colleges and a practicing barrister as a member of the Bar of Ireland. Since 2016 he lectures in constitutional law on the FE1, King’s Inns and QLTT courses.
Simon is also currently a tutor on the Barrister-at-Law Degree Course in the King’s Inns.

He previously lectured in advocacy and mooting in UCD as well as tutoring in property law and contract law.

Simon is a graduate of UCD having studied law with philosophy and graduating in 2011. Having completed the Barrister-at-Law Degree in the King’s Inns, he was called to the Bar in 2012. His practice at the Bar focuses on criminal law, employment and equality law, civil
litigation, judicial review and constitutional litigation.

Simon has a particular interest in the impact of the Constitution in criminal proceedings.

Julia Lawlor – Company Law

Julia Lawlor graduated from University College Dublin in 2012 with a first class honours degree in Law with Economics. She subsequently obtained the Barrister-at-Law degree from the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns in 2013. She has an advanced diploma in Applied Employment Law from the King’s Inns.

Julia was a Tutor of constitutional and EU law and an assistant examiner for EU Law at the UCD School of Law. Julia has lectured law to undergraduate business students and has guest lectured on the City Colleges FE-1 preparation course.

She was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2013 and she has been in practice since then. She has a broad civil law practice with a particular emphasis on media law, banking law, data protection law, breach of contract and tort law.