Who we are

Based between Henrietta Street and Constitution Hill in Dublin 1, The Honorable Society of King’s Inns (King’s Inns) is an independent educational institution renowned for professional legal education and training. Established in 1541, we are Ireland’s Oldest School of Law and one of Ireland’s significant historical environments.

King’s Inns is Ireland’s ‘Inn of Court’, training and admitting legal professionals who wish to be awarded the degree of Barrister–at–Law necessary to be called to the Bar by the Chief Justice of Ireland.

As well as educating future and qualified barristers, the School extends its reach to a diverse community of people from legal and non–legal backgrounds offering a range of accessible part–time courses in specialist areas of the law.

Our Mission

To excel in the provision of both professional and academic legal education and training, and to develop and nurture lifelong relationships with our entire membership

Our Vision

To further develop King’s Inns as a modern twenty–first century institution, which is a centre of excellence in the provision of legal education and training, and to have a value and significance for its membership who promote the importance of the rule of law in a modern democracy.

Members of King’s Inns

King’s Inns comprises of benchers, barristers and students. The benchers include all the judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court and a number of elected barristers.

Our members can be grouped under the following broad categories:

• Practising barristers who are members of the Law Library;

• Practising barristers who are not members of the Law Library;

• Benchers, including elected Bar Benchers, ex officio Judicial Benchers (who include all judges of the Superior Courts) and Honorary Benchers;

• Circuit Court and District Court judges who have been admitted to the degree of Barrister–at–Law;

• Qualified barristers who do not come within any of the above four categories;

• Degree of Barrister–at–Law students who have paid tuition fees.

Subscribing members can avail of a number of benefits including Commons and use of the Society’s Library. All members* are entitled to become subscribing members. View more details here.

*Graduates who are disbarred or voluntary removed from the Register of Members of the Society are not eligible to become subscribing members.