Definition of Paralegal
The term ´paralegal´
is a relatively new one in the United Kingdom.
There is no fixed definition
of a paralegal, however the Institute's definition is becoming widely
used:
"Someone
who is not a lawyer who does legal work that would
previously
have been done by a solicitor or barrister"
A paralegal may therefore
be someone who works in or with the law. They may apply it, administer
it, interpret it, use it, monitor it or advise on it. Someone is
not automatically a paralegal just because they work in a legal
environment (e.g. a receptionist in a law firm or an administrator
in the civil or criminal justice court systems).
The term "paralegal"
is really only used in the legal profession. However, of the circa
500,000 people in the UK doing paralegal work (full or part time),
only 50,000 work in the traditional legal profession (law firms
or in-house legal departments).
The remaining 450,000
paralegals do not use that job title. They work in a wide variety
of areas, e.g. government agencies; corporations; trades unions;
professional bodies; local councils; the armed forces and uniformed
services; educational institutions; the voluntary sector and
finance & insurance.
These paralegals use a wide variety of job titles, e.g.:
- contracts managers
- law clerks
- investigators
- health & safety officers
- probation staff
- enforcement officers
- regulatory body staff |
- company secretaries
- prosecution caseworkers
- claims assessors
- trading standards staff
-
NHS claims handlers
- HR administrators
- insurance claims staff |
What they all have in
common is that they are qualified through education, training or
work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires
knowledge of the legal system or legal processes or legal concepts.
Jobs requiring such substantive legal work constitute ´qualifying
employment´ for the purposes of Institute
membership.
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How to Become a Paralegal
Unlike for solicitors
and barristers, there are no formal qualifications or accreditations
that you need to obtain.
Most paralegals begin
their careers by learning on the job. However, as the profession
of paralegal continues to grow in recognition then it is likely
in due course that the government will seek to regulate it. Part
of the Institute´s remit is to
establish a recognised educational and skills framework for the
paralegal profession.
Although anyone can at present call themselves a paralegal, most employers recognise that the best paralegals have a mixture of experience gained whilst working and educational attainment.
If you are not sure whether
your work qualifies you for membership, please ring us on 020 7887
1420 or email
us
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