Accredited Paralegal roundup: Reflecting on the year and what’s next

Laura McBain, Member Services Coordinator and Secretary to the Accredited Paralegal Committee, returns for her final check-in before we ring in the New Year to share her highlights, what’s left of 2024 and what you can look forward to in 2025.

It seems impossible that we’re already in December and that this is my last check-in before 2025. In a lot of ways, it feels like we were only commencing a new year yesterday. Nevertheless, in the past 12 months the accreditation and the Law Society has been through lots of change and it feels right to end on a high.

Whether it was the rebrand that brought a new lease of life into the Society, seeing our first intake of students in our Paralegal Practice course with RGU or the fact we’ve taken on an additional 80 new members this year, bringing us to a total of around 700 Accredited Paralegals, there’s so much to celebrate and be proud of, and most importantly, it’s been lovely getting to meet so many of you!

That might seem like a lot, but before we officially hit the holidays, there’s more to come. So, in advance of you enjoying your well-deserved break if you’re having one, please see below everything we have in store for the rest of the year and some things to think about as we head into January…

I’m delighted to confirm that we have launched our new banking and finance practice area. This will be the 15^th practice area launched by the Law Society and the second practice area developed for paralegals working in the financial services sector.

Applications are now open and full details of our requirements can be found here. If you or any of your colleagues would like to find out more, please get in touch at accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk.

As we come to the end of the year, I’m sure you and your colleagues will be focusing on your career development plans for 2025. You may wish to consider joining the next intake of students for the Paralegal Practice Course (Cert He).

Full details of the course including entry requirements, fees and a full breakdown of the course modules can be found on the RGU website.

If you have any questions, please please contact us at paralegalpractice@lawscot.org.uk 

Applications close on Friday 3^rd January. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take the next step in your paralegal career!

As part of its ongoing work, the Accredited Paralegal Committee is undertaking a review of the practice area competencies to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.

In the past month the committee has completed its review of the Wills and Executries and Company Secretarial practice areas and you might remember, they also reviewed the Residential Conveyancing and Commercial Conveyancing practice areas just over two months ago. If these are your areas of work, please ensure you familiarise yourself with the changes and make your supervising solicitor aware of the update.

Further details of all our competencies and standards can be found here.

It’s not long until the current practice year ends on 31 January 2025. Here are some things to consider in the lead up to the renewal period:

1. Have you completed your CPD? We require all Accredited Paralegals to complete 10 hours of CPD during the practice year. Details of your CPD should be uploaded to the member site by 31 January 2025. If you are yet to complete your hours, we offer a wide range of in-person, live and on-demand courses including conferences, certified courses, and essential skills training. As well as our main CPD programme we also offer a variety of free courses so there is lots to choose from. Please visit the CPD section of our website to find out more. Further information on our CPD requirements can also be found here.
2. Are my employment details up to date? If you have moved firms throughout the practice year and are yet to notify us, please get in touch so we can send your renewal information to the correct details. Please email accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk with any updates.
3. Am I up to date on the general and practice area competencies? It’s important that all Accredited Paralegals maintain the standards of the status. Please familiarise yourself with the general and practice area competencies to ensure you are up to date with any changes.

The Scottish Paralegal Association (SPA) is recognised by the Law Society as the leading representative body for paralegals in Scotland. The voluntary not for profit association does fantastic work throughout the year to promote the role of the paralegal whilst also providing development and networking opportunities for its members.  

If you are an existing trainee or Accredited Paralegal and are not already registered with the SPA it’s never too late to sign up! Please email accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk if you are interested in joining. Further information on the work of the SPA can be found on their website.

Finally….

As we near the end of 2024 I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work and dedication throughout the year. I wish you all a fantastic break over the festive period and hope this will be an opportunity for you all to have a well-deserved rest.  I look forward to working with you all as we move into 2025 – it promises to be a great year for the status!