paralegal

The work

Paralegals do legal work, but are not fully-qualified solicitors or barristers. They could work in many different kinds of organisation, such as:

• law firms, where they support solicitors and usually specialise in one area of law such as probate or family law
• the public and not-for-profit sector, such as in Citizens Advice Bureaux, charities or trade unions, where they are often advice workers or caseworkers
• civil and criminal courts, police forces and enforcement bodies like Trading Standards
• commercial companies, where they may advise on business law or manage contracts.

Their duties vary depending on the area they are working in, but the work often includes:

• preparing legal documents
• research
• interviewing clients and witnesses
• attending court
• keeping up to date with the law
• handling a caseload
• giving legal information to clients
• general clerical work.

Experienced and senior paralegals in law firms may carry out most of the work that a solicitor does (see Solicitor profile for more details).

Hours and Environment

Paralegals usually work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, although they may sometimes work longer hours to meet deadlines. Part-time, flexitme, job sharing and temporary work may be available.

Most of the work is office-based, although paralegals may also attend court or travel to meetings. 

Skills and Interests

To be a paralegal you should:

• have excellent spoken and written communication skills
• be patient and tactful and be able to work with all kinds of client
• be able to take in large amounts of complex information
• pay attention to detail
• have research skills
• work well under pressure
• be well-organised able to meet deadlines
• have computer and administration skills
• respect confidential information.

Entry

There are no set qualifications for becoming a paralegal, as entry requirements can vary according to the employer. 

Employers will expect you to have a good understanding of the law and the legal system. You can get this through:

• a law degree
• a HNC/HND or foundation degree in law or legal studies
• relevant work experience in a legal setting
• studying for a paralegal qualification from the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) Paralegal Programmes, or the National Association of Licensed Paralegals.

Some employers may ask for at least a class 2:2 law degree or a postgraduate law qualification. Some may even prefer you to be a trained solicitor or barrister with the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) - many law graduates take jobs as paralegals if they have not yet found a solicitor’s training contact or barrister’s pupillage. (See the Solicitor and Barrister profiles for more information).

If you do not have a law qualification, you will usually start in an administrative role in a legal firm and study for paralegal qualifications whilst working.

Training

You will usually be trained on the job by your employer, for example in company procedures, case management systems or in-depth training in a particular area of law.

You can also gain paralegal qualifications whilst working, such as:

ILEX Paralegal Programme with City and Guilds:

• Level 2 Certificate in Vocational Paralegal Studies
• Level 3 Diploma in Vocational Paralegal Studies.

National Association of Licensed Paralegals:

• Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies
• Post Graduate Diploma in Paralegal Practice (PPC) - for law graduates who want to progress as a paralegal and do not wish to qualify as a solicitor or barrister.

You can study for each organisation’s courses either part-time at local colleges, or by distance learning. See websites for more information and where to study (contact details in Further Information).

Peterborough Regional College offers a Foundation Degree in Paralegal Studies. This is a three year part-time course for people already employed in a legal setting. Contact the college or see their website for more details (see Further Information). Some other colleges and universities also offer relevant foundation degrees in law or legal studies. 

For information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward.

At the moment there are no rules about what qualifications and training a paralegal must have. However, the National Association of Licensed Paralegals and the Scottish Paralegal Association both offer their members professional recognition and ongoing training and development – see websites for details.

Opportunities

As a paralegal you could work in various types of organisation, including:

• law firms
• commercial companies
• for the police, courts or probation services
• the voluntary sector
• local government departments
• public bodies.

Jobs may be advertised in the local press, at Jobcentre Plus or on specialist websites.

After completing the ILEX Paralegal Programme, you could take further ILEX training courses to become a legal executive. As a qualified and experienced legal executive, you could then choose to take further training to qualify as a solicitor – see the Legal Executive profile for more information.

If you have already achieved the Legal Practice Course (LPC), some law firms may offer you a training contract to allow you qualify as a solicitor.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Paralegals usually earn £16,000 to £25,000 a year.
Top salaries in large law firms can be up to £40,000 a year.

Further information

Kempston Manor
Kempston
Bedfordshire
MK42 7AB
Tel: 01234 841000 Park Crescent
Peterborough
PE1 4DZ
Tel: 01733 767366 9 Unity Street
Bristol
BS1 5HH
Tel: 0117 927 7077 26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh
EH3 7YR

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