Save to Disk| Printable Version

The term ´paralegal´ is a relatively new one in the United Kingdom.

There is no fixed definition of a paralegal, and it has a very broad meaning as it is essentially a default term used to describe a huge variety of non-lawyers who do legal work.

However we have two definitions, both of which are becoming widely adopted:

"Someone who is not a lawyer who does legal work that would

previously have been done by a solicitor or barrister"

"Someone who does legal work that a solicitor might do, and if he/she did it would charge for their time"

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.:

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.

Return to Top

About Paralegals Generally

'Paralegal' is the term used to describe non-lawyers (i.e. people who are not qualified solicitors or barristers) who do legal work - regardless of their job title.

There are half-a-million paralegals in the UK, although most paralegals do not have that job title - they are referred to as administrators, managers, clerks, etc.

But regardless of job title, if you spend a significant amount of time applying, administering, interpreting, monitoring, enforcing or advising on the law then you may also be a legal professional - a paralegal.

About Legal Support Staff

'Legal Support Staff' is the term used to describe people who work in a legal environment (e.g. law firms, legal departments, courts, the police and many government departments etc.) who do not do legal work themselves, but support those who do.

The type of support varies widely, it may be secretarial, accountancy or post room support, or it may be business support: marketing, HR, finance, learning & development and the like. The common thread is that individuals work in a legal environment and so need to be aware of the legal, ethical, regulatory and risk management implications inherent in working in that legal environment.

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

Return to Top