Accredited paralegal talk

Get some support from mentoring

I think it is fair to say we all reach a stage at some point in our careers when we could benefit from some support, whether it’s with progressing to our next role, making the leap into a new company or sector, developing a new skill we find difficult or just having someone to help us build confidence until we are a little more experienced in our role.  

If so, then you may have seen in the January Lawscot News that the Society’s mentoring scheme is open to accredited paralegals like us, who might be interested in either mentoring

or being a mentee, with another accredited paralegal or a solicitor.

Currently, we have more than 550 accredited or trainee accredited paralegals, with a wide range of experience, skills and knowledge to share.

As a mentee you can benefit from support with realising your career goals and ambitions, while improving your self-confidence and growing your network.

As a mentor you might find the experience of passing on your knowledge and expertise valuable and an opportunity to give something back. It’s also a great way to develop your own leadership and management skills.

Why am I telling you about all of this? Well, Karen Leslie, the Accredited Paralegal Committee convener and I, will both be signing up as mentors. Karen and I will be charting our personal journeys as we embark on this new role and we invite you to think about signing up as either a mentor or mentee. The mentoring scheme is all about your career and personal development, not your current role. We won’t offer legal advice in terms of cases you are working on, but we can help point you in the right direction where we can and help you move in the career direction you are looking for.

You can find more information and sign up for the mentoring scheme on our website, and if you have any queries in the meantime, please drop me a line at janetrieu-clarke@lawscot.org.uk

Meet the committee

Happy new practice year to you all!

To start our 2019-20 practice year, let me introduce to you the Accredited Paralegal Committee.

The committee has been around since the status was established in 2010, and is made up of four accredited paralegal members, two solicitor members, and two lay members. Having such a variety of people and experience allows the committee to make informed and reasoned judgments on anything laid before it.

Its role is to take decisions on non-standard or complex applications for entry to the scheme, approve or reject proposals to amend or discontinue existing practice areas, or introduce newly-proposed practice areas. It is also the committee’s responsibility to decide how rules apply, when exceptions can be made in response to member issues, and set CPD policy for trainee accredited paralegals and accredited paralegals.

Who is on the committee? They are:

• Karen Leslie – convener
• Janet Rieu-Clarke – committee secretary
• Denise Loney – solicitor, Optima Legal
• Caitlyn McCabe – solicitor, Digby Brown
• Sandra Reid – accredited paralegal and President of the SPA, Lindsays
• Elaine Campbell – accredited paralegal, Campbell Smith
• Sharon Connolly – accredited paralegal, McNabs
• Laura Mack – paralegal, Baillie Gifford
• Dorothy Nicholson – lay member (returned paralegal)

Keep an eye out for your Journal arriving in the coming months, as we will be including a short profile piece on each committee member to give you a little bit more insight into who we are and how we work together as a committee.

Renewal reminder!

Have you renewed your membership yet? As at 1 February, everyone should have received an email from us enclosing an invoice for this year’s annual membership fee of £125.

Anyone who has not renewed by 31 March will no longer be able to call themselves an accredited, or trainee accredited, paralegal or use our logo.

If you haven’t received an email, please let Janet know by emailing accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk