Paralegal Practice CertHE

The Paralegal Practice (Cert HE) course provides a professional qualification for paralegals who are starting out in their careers or those already working as a paralegal who now wish to build on their work experience. Successful completion of the course will allow paralegals to gain and demonstrate the necessary knowledge and skills for their role, benefitting both the paralegal and their employer.

The online course is designed to be flexible so it can be completed alongside your existing life and work commitments. The aim is to make it accessible to all, so entry requirements are based either on work experience or academic record. The programme was developed in partnership with Robert Gordon University (RGU) and will be delivered by the university.

The course is run over two years with each year covering two modules.

The first year lays the foundations of the necessary skills and legal knowledge for the paralegal.

• Module 1 - the core skills for being a paralegal. This gives employers and students immediate confidence in the ability of the paralegal to begin to deliver in their workplace. It links the skills needed for paralegal work and many of the skills needed for successful academic study (which may well be new to students) are aligned.
• Module 2 -  understanding the law and the legal system, providing a broader legal knowledge thereby giving context for the work of a paralegal.

The second year deals with the parameters of the paralegal’s role and helps to build specialisation.

• Module 3 - the rules, regulations and ethics of paralegal practice. As well as providing information on those key qualities, this will also ensure that the student can understand and manage the professional risks of paralegal practice.
• Module 4 - specialising in an area of practice (residential conveyancing, wills and executries, debt recovery, commercial conveyancing or family law). This provides an opportunity to gain in depth knowledge in one of the primary areas of specialist work which paralegals carry out.

Recognising the importance of allowing student to interact with their tutors and their peers, the course will be delivered through a combination of live online tutorials, recorded lectures and written materials. 
Assessment will aim to capture practical experience and knowledge through building legal skills and analysis drawing on fictional case studies and also capturing aspects of student’s work.

RGU's Law School is well-established, providing a range of accredited and professionally recognised law degrees at undergraduate, postgraduate and research level, ranging from LLB, LLM and PG Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. It was the first law school in Scotland to offer a fully online LLB and  Diploma in Legal Practice therefore creating the first online route to qualification as a solicitor in Scotland.

Full details of the course are available on the RGU website. Alternatively, if you have any queries or want to discuss your options, please contact us at paralegalpractice@lawscot.org.uk