UK Paralegals
Ever wonder what a paralegal does? Well lets first start with their official definitions as defined in the United Kingdom.
From the United Kingdom’s National Association of Licensed Paralegals: ‘A person who is educated and trained to perform legal tasks but who is not a qualified solicitor or barrister’.
From the United Kingdom’s Institute of Paralegals: “A paralegal is a non-lawyer who does legal work that previously would have been done by a lawyer, or if done by a lawyer, would be charged for.”
Whats the demand for a paralegal? Well in the UK there are now almost 4,000 government registered/regulated paralegal advisory firms offering services that would previously have been offered by lawyers.
Your local authority for more information is The Institute of Paralegals. This is the UK body setting national standards for paralegals, legal secretaries and other non-lawyer legal professionals working in the legal profession. They offer self regulation and certification for paralegals in England and Wales. On behalf of paralegals they also liaise regularly with government, The Law Society, Bar Council and others on issues of concern to paralegals, such as rights of audience, diversity, recognition of paralegals, terms and conditions, education and direct access to the Bar.
Hope this helps you get a head start in the Paralegal profession here in the UK.