Paralegals help qualified solicitors to carry out work on cases and to give legal advice to clients. They will usually specialise in a particular area of law.
The Work
Your work would be supervised by a qualified solicitor. Specific duties would depend on the area of law specialised in.
You could be:
carrying out research on legal cases
reviewing and organising case files – in some cases handling your own caseload
transferring the legal title to private or commercial property
dealing with civil or criminal court work
giving legal advice to clients
preparing legal documents such as contracts, leases and wills
getting information from clients for court cases
taking witness statements (precognition)
assisting in court.
Pay
The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:
where you work
the size of the company or organisation you work for
the demand for the job.
Salaries for paralegals are usually around £21,000 to £30,000 a year. Experienced paralegals can earn up to £40,000 a year.
Conditions
You would work in an office.
You may also spend time in court.
You would usually work regular hours, but when you are getting a case ready for court, you may have to work late.
Skills for Justice and the Financial and Legal Skills Partnership have developed a framework for the Scottish Modern Apprenticeship in Paralegal Practice.
This incorporates the SVQ in Paralegal Practice at SCQF Level 7.
You can study full time at college or university and then look for work as a trainee paralegal.
Increasingly, employers are looking for paralegal trainees with recognised and relevant qualifications at HNC (SCQF Level 7), HND (SCQF Level 8) or degree (SCQF Level 9-10) level.
For entry into an HNC or HND in Legal Services you would normally need 2 Highers including English plus subjects at National 5. A relevant NC or NQ (SCQF Level 6) is sometimes accepted.
For entry into a Law degree you normally need 4-5 Highers, including English. Other subjects, including Maths, may be required at National 5. Entry requirements can vary widely.
You can study part time while working for a law firm in a clerical or administrative role.
Most employers will look for a good general education, normally a group of subjects at National 5 including English. Some prefer candidates with 1-2 Highers including English, or an equivalent qualification.
There are several related part time qualifications, including several Professional Development Awards (PDAs) offered by SQA under the subject of law and social sciences. These are offered by a number of colleges as a part time or online course. You may not normally need formal qualifications for a PDA, but may need relevant experience in a legal or administration environment.
Fife College offers part time HNC in Legal Services.
Central Law Training (Scotland) work in partnership with the Law Society of Scotland's Accredited Paralegal Scheme and offer the Specialist Paralegal Qualification by distance learning. This is the highest level of course available in the UK.
What Does it Take?
You need to have:
excellent spoken and written communication skills
good concentration skills
patience and tact
excellent organisational skills
the ability to pay attention to detail
a good memory
the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
good research skills
the ability to take in large amounts of complex information.
Training
After completing a formally recognised and assessed qualification, you will undertake an in-office traineeship of one year with an employer.
By the end of the traineeship, you must demonstrate the skills and knowledge listed in the Law Society of Scotland Registered Paralegal Educational Competencies.
Members of the Scottish Paralegal Association must do 10 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in each practice year.
Training will usually be ongoing including company procedures and specialising in a particular area of law.
Getting On
Paralegals work in private legal practice and in the legal departments of a range of bodies. These include government, local authorities, insurance companies and Sheriff Officer’s firms, the Registers of Scotland and voluntary organisations such as Citizens’ Advice Scotland.
Most paralegals specialise in a particular area of law but others may choose to change job to get a broad range of experience.
Some paralegals choose to move on by qualifying as professional lawyers through the part time LLB degree at the University of Strathclyde or the Open University.
More Information
There are currently 12 areas of practice which paralegals can practice in:
Civil Court Practice; Commercial Conveyancing; Company Law; Criminal Law; Debt Recovery; Employment Law; Family Law; Licensing Law; Local Government Law; Reparation Law; Residential Conveyancing; and Wills, Trusts and Executries.
