Public Affairs Ireland
Public Sector Legal Forum 2026
Legal CPD designed around the realities of public-sector practice.
Practical insights on risk, governance, AI and better decision-making — with five Group Study CPD hours and the opportunity to connect with legal professionals from across the public service.
Tuesday, 8 December 2026
9:00am – 16:30
Registration from 8:30am
5 Group Study CPD hours
€299 per person
A Legal Forum Built for the Public Sector
The role of the public sector lawyer is evolving.
Today’s legal professionals are no longer simply interpreters of the law. They are trusted advisers to decision-makers, helping organisations navigate complexity, understand risk and make confident, legally robust decisions.
PAI’s Public Sector Legal Forum 2026 brings together legal professionals from Government Departments, Local Authorities, State Agencies, Regulators and the wider public service for a practical day focused on the issues shaping public-sector legal practice.
The programme moves beyond traditional legal updates to examine the challenges public-sector lawyers encounter when legal advice meets organisational delivery, governance, emerging technology and public accountability.
What the Forum Will Explore
Risk Appetite & Better Decisions
Explore the changing approach to risk across the public service and the role of legal advisers in helping decision-makers understand, manage and own legal risk.
Governance & Accountability
Examine how legal teams can support sound governance and accountability while enabling organisations to deliver effectively.
AI & the Future of Legal Practice
Consider the opportunities, risks and professional responsibilities created by the growing use of artificial intelligence across the public service.
Decision Lab
Work through practical scenarios that reflect the judgement calls, competing priorities and legal risks public-sector lawyers face in real organisations.
General Counsel Panel
Hear senior legal leaders discuss the changing role of the public-sector legal function and what effective legal leadership looks like today.
Peer Learning & Networking
Meet legal professionals from across Government Departments, Local Authorities, State Agencies, Regulators and the wider public service.
Why Now?
The Government’s Risk Appetite Statement signals an important shift in how the public service approaches risk: not simply as something to be avoided, but as something to be understood, managed and owned in pursuit of better public outcomes.
As public bodies are encouraged to make timely, informed decisions and deliver with greater confidence, the role of the public sector lawyer has never been more important.
Legal advisers are increasingly expected not only to identify legal risk, but to help organisations understand it, place it in context and make confident decisions within an agreed risk appetite.
The Public Sector Legal Forum 2026 is designed for this evolving environment, giving legal professionals practical insights, peer perspectives and tools they can bring back into their organisations.
Your CPD
One Day. 5 Group Study CPD Hours. Three CPD Categories.
Make meaningful progress towards your annual CPD requirement while attending a programme designed specifically for public-sector legal professionals.
Professional Standards
Solicitor Wellbeing
Why PAI?
Unlike traditional legal CPD providers, PAI understands the unique environment in which public sector lawyers operate.
Our programmes are designed specifically for professionals working across the public service, where legal advice must operate alongside governance, accountability, policy, public trust and organisational delivery.
Rather than focusing on one narrow area of law, the Forum explores the cross-cutting challenges faced by public-sector legal teams and creates an opportunity to learn from colleagues working in comparable organisations.
Public Sector Legal Forum
Join Us on 8 December
€299
per person
Your registration includes the full in-person Forum, five Group Study CPD hours, practical sessions, expert insights and peer networking.
COMPLETE YOUR 2026 CPD
Still Have More CPD to Complete?
Upgrade to CPD Complete for €399 and complete your full 25-hour 2026 CPD requirement with PAI.
The package includes on-demand access to our 3-hour Public Sector Legal CPD event, covering Time vs Energy Management, Litigation in the Public Sector and Effective Mediation for Public Service Lawyers, alongside PAI’s flexible eLearning library. All learning within the package has been designed with public service legal professionals in mind, with content spanning legal, governance, compliance and professional development topics relevant to their work.
For just €100 more than the Forum alone, CPD Complete combines your in-person Group Study hours with 20 hours of flexible eLearning covering legal, governance, compliance and professional-development topics.
€399
CPD Complete Package
Public Sector Legal Forum 2026
Legal CPD designed around the realities of public-sector practice.
Enabling better public decisions. Managing risk. Strengthening public trust.
