2018: a paralegal view

It’s that time of year again… presents, prosecco and precious time off to spend with our loved ones.

It may also be a chance to reflect on the last 12 months and what you want to achieve for year ahead, so what about the accredited paralegal status? Have we had a good year and what do we want to achieve in 2019?

I think it fair to say that we have had a fantastic year, and that is down to the hard work and support of you, our accredited paralegals, your supervising solicitors and everyone else who has joined and shown an interest in the accredited paralegal status. So, thank you all very much for your continued support.

We started the year with about 430 accredited and trainee accredited paralegals, and I am proud to say we ended our operational year on 31 October with an amazing 552. The year has passed so quickly, and when I started to think about everything we have been working on I was pleasantly surprised at how much we have achieved. We held our first ever Highland and Islands tour, with the aim of meeting as many paralegals as we could, in locations including Inverness, Orkney, Shetland and Banff.

We have welcomed on board our first ever sponsor of the accredited paralegal status – Millar & Bryce (thank you M&B, we look forward to working with you in the year ahead); we exhibited at the Central Law Training (CLT) Scots Law Conference, Millar & Bryce annual conveyancing conference, Scottish Paralegal Association conferences in Glasgow and Dundee, CPN network conference and a number of university law fairs. And all of this while carrying out the day job – ensuring certificates are renewed, new members welcomed on board, working with the Accredited Paralegal Committee and revamping our website to make sure as much information as we can provide is available in the easiest way possible.

Do we have anything left to do next year? Absolutely! Next year is shaping up to be an exciting and busy one. You can find out what’s coming by keeping an eye on your inbox for your fortnightly Lawscot News, our newsletter targeted at accredited paralegals and sending you news and stories which are relevant and of interest to the paralegal community. If you haven’t signed up for Lawscot News yet, do let me know and we can sort this for you – it is the best way to keep up to date with what’s happening.

Oh, and if you haven’t yet done so, why not join our Baublefest community and buy a Christmas bauble to hang on our Christmas tree here at the Law Society of Scotland. You can dedicate this bauble to someone special while raising funds for the fabulous charity Lawscot Foundation. For more info have a look on our website.

All that’s left to say is, I hope you all have an absolutely amazing Christmas and a very merry new year, and I hope to see you all in the new year feeling refreshed and ready for what’s coming up.

Can we contact you?

No, this is not another GDPR question, but more a question of do we have your most up-to-date details to contact you via email!

Most of you will be aware that renewal of your accredited paralegal certificate starts on 1 February 2019, and this year we are going digital so all paperwork, including your invoice for payment, will be emailed direct to you at your nominated email address – this is the one where we send all correspondence to you at present.

If we do not have the correct email address, you will not receive your invoice and therefore won’t be able to renew.

So, check your details and if these need updated, please get in touch with Janet on accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk as soon as possible.