Paralegals, “…assist and support solicitors and those within a legal environment. Working under supervision, but responsible for their own workload, many paralegals specialise in a specific area of law e.g. trusts and executry, debt recovery conveyancing, litigation or family law etc.” Scottish Paralegal Association A student can work as a paralegal while studying for their LLB. What is the Accredited Paralegal Status? It is a voluntary accreditation which aims to provide a defined professional status and a career path for paralegals in Scotland. It gives employers and clients the confidence that the accredited paralegal is of a consistent standard and meets the required competency level as set by the Law Society of Scotland. Can a student/recent graduate qualify via the Accredited Paralegal route? It would be possible for a student/recent graduate to opt for this route. However to become an accredited paralegal you must currently be working as a paralegal under the supervision of a Scottish solicitor, either in private practice or in-house. The student/recent graduate would therefore require to be working as a paralegal before they could apply to become an Accredited Paralegal. To be eligible to join, you must have a minimum of two years’ experience as a paralegal working under a supervising solicitor and within a specific practice area. You must be able to evidence that you have been continuously working and that you are proficient in all of the competency areas for your chosen practice area. During each practice year, you must complete at least 10 hours of continuing professional development (CPD). There are currently 14 areas of practice in which you could become accredited: Law Society of Scotland - Accredited paralegal areas of practice If you have less than the required two years' experience and have obtained a formal qualification recognised by the Law Society of Scotland, you can apply to become a trainee accredited paralegal (as long as you are working as a paralegal under the supervision of a Scottish Solicitor). For further information on accepted qualifications and to determine which route is best for you, please visit the Law Society of Scotland website: Law Society of Scotland - Accredited paralegal - are you eligible? With thanks to the Law Society of Scotland. Job Hunting The following links provide a good starting point for paralegal vacancies: Lawscotjobs is the official recruitment website of the Law Society of Scotland: Lawscotjobs The Scottish Paralegal Association lists vacancies: Scottish Paralegal Association - vacancies Scottish Legal News provides up-to-date news, jobs and events in Scotland's legal sector: Scottish Legal News - vacancies This article was published on 2024-05-14
