If you are interested in advancing your career and becoming a Paralegal, watch the following film by the National Association of Licensed Paralegals. It was shown at their awards ceremony in March and Cherie Booth QC speaks highly of their merits.
NALP offers accredited and recognised professional paralegal courses, and qualifications for a career in the field of law. Their paralegal training courses are designed to match your level of experience and we recommend the Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies if you would like to further your career.
The Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies provides a broad foundation upon which your career can be built. It is suitable if you have passed the Legal Secretaries Diploma course and our qualified Students are entitled to Affiliate Membership of the Association.
NALP’s philosophy is that before a paralegal becomes a specialist, he or she must first become a generalist. Whatever particular area of law you may want to specialise in does not operate in a vacuum. It is vital to have a sound knowledge and understanding of the English legal System and knowledge of other legal areas also. The courses are written by specialists in the field of paralegalism, especially for the paralegal.
On gaining the Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies you will be eligible to apply for Associate Membership of the Association. This will distinguish you as being a qualified paralegal.
This course is very popular and has proven to be extremely successful. It is the stepping stone to a great and rewarding career in the legal profession. The material is written in a way which is easy to follow and understand. At the end, you will be equipped to be a successful paralegal who would be an asset to any legal environment.
What is a Paralegal?
A Paralegal is a person qualified through education and training to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of the law and procedures and who is not a qualified solicitor or barrister. Paralegals may work for, or be retained by solicitors within the legal profession, or they may work within a legal environment within commerce, industry or the public sector.
Paralegals are important members of the legal team. Within the legal profession, solicitors have always relied upon their unadmitted support staff and could not operate effectively without them. Paralegals are important members of the legal team, playing key roles in the legal process. Their duties involve them working closely with Solicitors and Barristers and may take them from office to courtroom, from clients to conferences, from the law library to the negotiating table.
The work that Paralegals undertake is quite often virtually indistinguishable from that undertaken by the Solicitors who employ them.
The term, or title, 'Paralegal' is generic, having caught on within the legal profession and is now used almost exclusively to describe fee earners or part fee earners amongst unadmitted staff who are not legal executives. There is evidence of the title 'legal assistant' being used amongst a few firms, but it is only a small minority. 'Paralegal' and 'Legal Assistant', as titles, are synonymous. However, unlike the term 'Legal Executive' or 'Licensed Paralegal', which are specific titles, the term 'Paralegal' on its own is, as stated, is generic.
http://www.nationalparalegals.com