What is a Paralegal
A Paralegal is a person qualified through education and training to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of the law and procedures and who is not a qualified solicitor or barrister. Paralegals may work for, or be retained by solicitors within the legal profession or they may work within a legal environment within commerce, industry or the public sector.
PARALEGALS ARE IMPORTANT MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL TEAM
Within the legal profession, solicitors have always relied upon their unadmitted support staff and could not operate effectively without them. Paralegals are important members of the legal team, playing key roles in the legal process. Their duties involve them working closely with Solicitors and Barristers and may take them from office to courtroom, from clients to conferences, from the law library to the negotiating table. The work that experienced. The work that Paralegals undertake is quite often virtually indistinguishable from that undertaken by the Solicitors who employ them.
Donna Evans, right, (Carmarthenshire College) being presented with her Gold Medal by District Judge Jane Garland-Thomas
THE TERM 'PARALEGAL' IS GENERIC
The term, or title, 'Paralegal' has caught on within the legal profession and is now used almost exclusively to describe fee earners or part fee earners amongst unadmitted staff who are not legal executives. There is evidence of the title 'legal assistant' being used amongst a few firms, but it is only a small minority. 'Paralegal' and 'Legal Assistant', as titles, are synonymous. However, unlike the term 'Legal Executive' or 'Licensed Paralegal', which are specific titles, the term 'Paralegal' on its own is, as stated, is generic.
BEING A LAW GRADUATE DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN PERFORM PARALEGAL WORK
There is a tendency in some circles of the media and recruitment agencies to think that Paralegals are only those law graduates who have failed to obtain a Training Contract. This is not at all the case. Graduating with a Law Degree or attaining the LPC does not necessarily mean a person is qualified to do paralegal work. Further training is required to gain knowledge of the practical side of the profession. The vast majority of Paralegals are non law graduates. Only a relatively small percentage are. However, for those law graduates who have not been able to afford the LPC or obtain a Training Contract, the alternative career as a Paralegal can be as satisfying.
PARALEGALS MUST STRIVE FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE
The Association has always taken the view that it is essential that Paralegals strive for personal and professional excellence. They should possess integrity, professional skills and dedication to the improvement and expansion of the Paralegal role in the delivery of legal services. The importance of this can be seen from the relevant statistics. Whereas there are some 100,000 (plus) practising solicitors there are estimated to be over 150,000 unadmitted staff who carry out direct 'fee earning' work. Out of this number only some 7,300 are legal executives. The rest are, by definition, 'Paralegals'.
PARALEGALS - THE LARGEST SECTOR OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION
It can be seen, therefore, that not only are Paralegals the largest sector of the legal profession, the role of the Paralegal is crucial to the practical and economic sustainability of the provision of legal services by solicitors' practices. Even more so when it is considered that The Law Society's Research and Policy Planning Unit's Study No. 23, entitled "Paralegal Staff in Solicitors' Firms" (see below), found that many Paralegals work with minimum supervision and of those questioned by the Study, as many as 76% only discussed their more complex cases with the person to whom they were responsible. Therefore, an extremely high proportion of the legal work undertaken on behalf of clients in this country is undertaken by 'Paralegals'. Much of the work for which solicitors receive praise and recognition by clients and others is, in practical terms, undertaken by Paralegals.
The findings and conclusions reached by The Law Society's above mentioned Study referred to above can be briefly summarised as follows:--
That Paralegal staff, properly qualified, enable solicitors to concentrate on the more complex cases and they also increase the productivity of the firm.
They make a great contribution to the efficiency of the solicitors' firms which employ them and that many work fairly independently.
Whereas practical experience is of great value it is not, in itself, sufficient.
Properly qualified Paralegals will help to increase the efficiency of the legal profession and the confidence of it's clients.
There is a significant need for formal training and career development of Paralegals.
WORKING IN OTHER SECTORS
As well as Solicitors, many organisations within commerce and industry need and benefit from employees who have a broad knowledge of law and procedure together with an expertise applicable to their particular sector. Paralegals can, therefore, be seen working in areas such as Financial Services, Insurance, Banking, Building Societies, the Retail Sector, Credit Control, Export, Entertainment and the Media, etc.
In the Public Sector are Government Departments, Local Authorities, Court and Tribunal Staff, Welfare, the Probation Services, Social Services, the Police and the like. In these areas a Paralegal qualification can be invaluable.
PARALEGALS ARE IMPORTANT MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL TEAM
Within the legal profession, solicitors have always relied upon their unadmitted support staff and could not operate effectively without them. Paralegals are important members of the legal team, playing key roles in the legal process. Their duties involve them working closely with Solicitors and Barristers and may take them from office to courtroom, from clients to conferences, from the law library to the negotiating table. The work that experienced. The work that Paralegals undertake is quite often virtually indistinguishable from that undertaken by the Solicitors who employ them.
Donna Evans, right, (Carmarthenshire College) being presented with her Gold Medal by District Judge Jane Garland-Thomas
THE TERM 'PARALEGAL' IS GENERIC
The term, or title, 'Paralegal' has caught on within the legal profession and is now used almost exclusively to describe fee earners or part fee earners amongst unadmitted staff who are not legal executives. There is evidence of the title 'legal assistant' being used amongst a few firms, but it is only a small minority. 'Paralegal' and 'Legal Assistant', as titles, are synonymous. However, unlike the term 'Legal Executive' or 'Licensed Paralegal', which are specific titles, the term 'Paralegal' on its own is, as stated, is generic.
BEING A LAW GRADUATE DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN PERFORM PARALEGAL WORK
There is a tendency in some circles of the media and recruitment agencies to think that Paralegals are only those law graduates who have failed to obtain a Training Contract. This is not at all the case. Graduating with a Law Degree or attaining the LPC does not necessarily mean a person is qualified to do paralegal work. Further training is required to gain knowledge of the practical side of the profession. The vast majority of Paralegals are non law graduates. Only a relatively small percentage are. However, for those law graduates who have not been able to afford the LPC or obtain a Training Contract, the alternative career as a Paralegal can be as satisfying.
PARALEGALS MUST STRIVE FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE
The Association has always taken the view that it is essential that Paralegals strive for personal and professional excellence. They should possess integrity, professional skills and dedication to the improvement and expansion of the Paralegal role in the delivery of legal services. The importance of this can be seen from the relevant statistics. Whereas there are some 100,000 (plus) practising solicitors there are estimated to be over 150,000 unadmitted staff who carry out direct 'fee earning' work. Out of this number only some 7,300 are legal executives. The rest are, by definition, 'Paralegals'.
PARALEGALS - THE LARGEST SECTOR OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION
It can be seen, therefore, that not only are Paralegals the largest sector of the legal profession, the role of the Paralegal is crucial to the practical and economic sustainability of the provision of legal services by solicitors' practices. Even more so when it is considered that The Law Society's Research and Policy Planning Unit's Study No. 23, entitled "Paralegal Staff in Solicitors' Firms" (see below), found that many Paralegals work with minimum supervision and of those questioned by the Study, as many as 76% only discussed their more complex cases with the person to whom they were responsible. Therefore, an extremely high proportion of the legal work undertaken on behalf of clients in this country is undertaken by 'Paralegals'. Much of the work for which solicitors receive praise and recognition by clients and others is, in practical terms, undertaken by Paralegals.
The findings and conclusions reached by The Law Society's above mentioned Study referred to above can be briefly summarised as follows:--
That Paralegal staff, properly qualified, enable solicitors to concentrate on the more complex cases and they also increase the productivity of the firm.
They make a great contribution to the efficiency of the solicitors' firms which employ them and that many work fairly independently.
Whereas practical experience is of great value it is not, in itself, sufficient.
Properly qualified Paralegals will help to increase the efficiency of the legal profession and the confidence of it's clients.
There is a significant need for formal training and career development of Paralegals.
WORKING IN OTHER SECTORS
As well as Solicitors, many organisations within commerce and industry need and benefit from employees who have a broad knowledge of law and procedure together with an expertise applicable to their particular sector. Paralegals can, therefore, be seen working in areas such as Financial Services, Insurance, Banking, Building Societies, the Retail Sector, Credit Control, Export, Entertainment and the Media, etc.
In the Public Sector are Government Departments, Local Authorities, Court and Tribunal Staff, Welfare, the Probation Services, Social Services, the Police and the like. In these areas a Paralegal qualification can be invaluable.