Are you eligible?
The Accredited Paralegal Status is open to anyone working as a paralegal under the supervision of a Scottish solicitor, either in private practice or in-house. Our members range from individuals who have worked in the paralegal profession for several years to those just starting their career. Whatever your circumstances we would encourage you to apply.
There are three routes available:
Trainee Accredited Paralegal
If you have a formal qualification but less than two years' experience working within your practice area (see below), you can apply to become a Trainee Accredited Paralegal.
General accreditation
If you have a formal qualification and over two years’ experience as a paralegal you can apply for the general accreditation. We will ask you to provide evidence that you have been continuously working and are proficient in the general competencies for an accredited paralegal.
Area-specific accreditation
If you have a formal qualification and over two years’ experience as a paralegal working within a specific practice area (see below), you can apply for an accreditation in your area of law. We will ask you to provide evidence that you have been continuously working and are proficient in the general competencies for an accredited paralegal and specific competencies for your chosen practice area.
| Areas of Practice | ||
|---|---|---|
| Civil Litigation: Debt Recovery | Criminal Litigation | Repossession Litigation |
| Civil Litigation: Family law | Employment Law | Residential Conveyancing |
| Civil Litigation: Reparation Law | Financial Services: Asset Management | Wills & Executries |
| Commercial Conveyancing | Liquor Licensing | Immigration |
| Company Secretarial | Remortgage | Banking and Finance |
General Accreditation |
Not sure if you are eligible?
We appreciate that some paralegals may not be able to meet all the criteria either in terms of qualifications or competencies. If you want to discuss your eligibility, please just get in touch by emailing us at accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk.
Competencies and standards
The competencies and standards required for accreditation