| This page gives basic
information about the status of paralegal qualifications and the
new legal secretary national competency standards.
for information on actual
paralegalcourses please visit the courses
available page
Paralegal
Qualifications
Legal
Secretary National Competency Standards
Paralegal Qualifications
Contrary to the impression
sometimes given by course providers, there are no specific qualifications
required to become a paralegal.
People enter the paralegal
profession at all levels, from school leavers to postgraduate.
Most
paralegals acquire their expertise through work experience, although
it is often the case that the more senior the position, the more
employers expect paralegals to have had some kind of formal legal
training or, alternatively, significant practical experience.
The general rule is still
that experience is valued more than qualifications. In terms of
the qualifications, vocational practical ones tend to be valued
more highly than academic ones.
Legal training is never
wasted, but it does need to be relevant to the job and industry
sector. For example there is little benefit in doing a course
on criminal law and procedure if you are looking to get a job in
the property/conveyancing department of a solicitor's firm.
There are some good training
courses currently available, but please note that there is as yet
no nationally agreed framework for the recognition of paralegal
training programmes. The Institute is working on this and
hopes to produce a national paralegal training framework for early
2008.
Legal Secretary National
Competency Standards
In partnership with the
Council for Administration, the UK's premier standards setting body
for
business and administration,
the Institute is currently compiling national competency standards
for legal secretaries and paralegals.
Who's Who
A group of 34 law firms,
regulators, standard-setting bodies and other interested organisations
has joined the Institute Standards Working Party/ask to have a watching
brief. These organisations are:
Berrymans Lace Mawer
Bond Pearce
Charles Russell
Cobbetts
Compliance Recruitment Solutions
Council for Administration
Dawsons
Denton Wilde Sapte
Dickinson Dees
Fox Williams
Gide Loyrette Nouel
Halliwells
Hilary Meredith Solicitors
HR in Law
Institute of Paralegals
Jacobs
Law Society of England & Wales
Law Society of Scotland
Legal Education & Training Group
Legal Services Commission
Legal Services Ombudsman
Lincoln University Law School
Mayo Wynne Baxter
Mills & Reeve
Ministry of Justice
Morgan Cole
Norton Rose
Pinsent Masons
Police National Legal Database
Reed Smith
Scottish Paralegal Association
Shepherd Evans
Solicitors Regulatory Authority
Thompsons
Thomson Snell & Passmore
TLT LLP
Weightmans
Project Goals
The standards are designed
to be immensely practical and immediately usable. They cover the
core skills and abilities that legal secretaries need to have. in
addition, they allow firms to add their own firm-specific requirements.
The project goals are
to:
- Create nationally consistent competency standards
- Produce annual appraisal criteria and supporting documentation
- Create the first ever career structure for legal secretaries
and paralegals
- Help standardise job titles and qualification requirements
- Introduce a new national qualification for legal secretaries
- Create an online e-portfolio
- Produce affordable, nationally consistent, support staff training
- Maintain and update the standards annually
During August 2007 the
Institute will finalise the secretarial standards. These will
be available on a subscription basis.
Covering the different
standards expected of secretaries beginning their careers, part
way into their careers and those with a lot of experience, the standards
deal with requirements in the following areas:
Client Care
Communication
Equipment Use
IT Skills
Legal Skills
Management of Information
Management of Workload
Managing Others
Professional Conduct and Compliance
Secretarial Skills
Self Development
Teamwork
Knowledge Guidelines
A sample of the standards
expected of a more senior secretary with regard to Client Care:
At
your level of seniority, client care is about four things:
1. The
way you treat potential and existing clients and the attitude you
display when dealing with them.
2.
Your knowledge of your firm's systems relating to client data and
how to handle clients.
3.
Giving feedback to your firm where appropriate on aspects of client
care that can be improved.
4.
As a representative of the firm who has direct contact with clients,
acting as a representative and ensuring you project a positive image.
This
is what the national standards require you to be able to do:
CC1.
come come |
Respond
to enquiries from potential clients courteously and professionally
and deal with them as appropriate.
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CC2.
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Act
in a professional and courteous manner when dealing with clients,
potential clients and third parties and always project a positive
image of your firm.
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CC3.
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Liaise
with clients and inform them of the progress of the matter
with the relevant lawyer's approval or direction.
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CC4.
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Ensure
relevant database/records are accurate and complete throughout
and at the end of the matters for which you are responsible.
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CC5.
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Operate
in accordance with your firm's policies and/or procedures
relating to client care.
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CC6.
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Record
and respond positively to client feedback, notify the relevant
lawyer and comply with your firm's complaints procedure if
applicable.
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CC7.
This |
Tailor
your response to clients so that it is appropriate to their
situation on that particular occasion.
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CC8.
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Identify
any particular client requirements (beyond the norm) and comply
or notify the appropriate person.
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CC9.
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Periodically
review your client care performance and, where appropriate,
make improvements.
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In
addition, your firm requires you to:
For more information on
the standards or to join the working party, please contact James
O'Connell at the Institute on 020 7099 9122 or email him at james
@theiop.org (NB note break in address)
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