NI: Young solicitors elect new NIYSA committee

David Cairns
David Cairns

Young Northern Ireland solicitors met in Belfast this month to elect the new Northern Ireland Young Solicitors’ Association (NIYSA) committee for 2017.

Solicitor David Cairns (pictured) of Eamonn McEvoy & Co has taken over as chair from Julie-Ann McCaffrey of Cleaver Fulton Rankin, who continues to sit on the committee.

The other solicitors elected to the committee are:

  • Emma O’Donnell (Carson McDowell) – Vice Chair;
  • Rachael Gamble (Cleaver Fulton Rankin) – Treasurer;
  • Ciara Ferguson (JMK Solicitors) – Secretary;
  • Chris Kinney (McCallion Keown) – Membership Secretary;
  • Lauren Jones (HHD Solicitors) – CPD Co-ordinator;
  • Stephanie Johnston (Carson McDowell);
  • Francesca Glynn (Edwards & Company);
  • Owen Williamson (Shean Dickson Merrick);
  • Emma McCaul (Simmons Meglaughlin & Orr) - IPLS representative.
  • The contested election was overseen by NIYSA’s honorary president, the Recorder of Belfast, His Honour Judge McFarland.

    Speaking after his election, Mr Cairns told Irish Legal News: “I am delighted first and foremost to be elected onto the committee and furthermore extremely humbled to be nominated as Chairman this year.

    “I would like to express my thanks to outgoing committee members, Peter McGettrick (Flynn & McGettrick), Tim Rankin (Cleaver Fulton Rankin), Elaine Keenan (Worthingtons) and Seamus O’Neill (JMK Solicitors) for all their help and assistance throughout the year.

    “I would also like to thank our immediate Past Chair, Julie-Ann McCaffrey and all the past committee members for their tireless efforts throughout the year and in particular with the hosting of the European Young Bar Association Conference in April 2016.

    “A particular highlight of was without question the excellent work of our immediate past Chair Julie-Ann McCaffrey and all the past committee members in securing attorney Jerry Buting from Netflix Making a Murderer as the keynote speaker.

    Mr Cairns added: “Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the Law Society of Northern Ireland for their long-standing and extremely helpful support of the NIYSA.

    “Following on from an extremely positive year, I hope to continue this momentum in working with the new committee members to engage and represent our members throughout the entire jurisdiction of Northern Ireland. I also look forward to developing new networks with our counterparts across the four jurisdictions of the UK and Ireland and also our colleagues across Europe and further afield.”

    For more information about the NIYSA, please visit www.niysa.com.

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