Accredited Paralegal Roundup: The start of 2024

In a new regular update, our Member Services Co-Ordinator and Secretary to the Accredited Paralegal Committee, Laura McBain, sits down to share what’s been happening with the Accredited Paralegal status since the start of the new year and some useful information on your learning and development.

It’s been a very busy start to 2024 for the Society and the Accredited Paralegal status. I am delighted to say that the status continues to grow as we now have over 650 members and have welcomed 42 new Accredited Paralegals since the start of 2024.

In a new, regular update, I will be sharing what’s new when it comes to the status, our course with Robert Gordon University and important information that will keep you up-to-date.

As always, if you have any questions on what I’ve run through below or would like to get in touch, please email me at accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk.  

Our Rebrand

As part of the recent Law Society rebrand you should have received a new Accredited Paralegal logo. Our new logos not only demonstrate that you have been accredited through the Law Society but also detail your specialist area of law. If you are yet to receive the new logo, please get in touch at accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk.   

The start of the Paralegal Practice Course

In January we welcomed the first intake of students to the RGU Paralegal Practice Course. The students come from a wide range of backgrounds and different stages of their paralegal career. We were lucky enough to meet two of the students at the recent SPA Conference in Glasgow and it was fantastic to hear how they are getting on. We wish all the students well for the remainder of the course!

We anticipate the next course will run from January 2025 but it’s never too early to register your interest by contacting us at paralegalpractice@lawscot.org.uk. Further information including the course syllabus is available on the RGU website.

Scottish Paralegal Association

In April we attended the SPA’s Conference in Glasgow which was attended by over 200 delegates, keynote speakers and exhibitors. I had a fantastic day discussing the accreditation and the RGU paralegal practice course. It was lovely to meet so many of our members in person and thank you to all of you who popped over to say hello.

A highlight of the day was a presentation from Rachel Weiss who is founder of the Menopause café. A highly informative discussion about the often-taboo topic of menopause which was delivered with understanding and lots of good humor.

The next SPA Conference will be held in Dundee later this year – we hope to see you there!

Pre PEAT

We are delighted to confirm that paralegals completing the Pre-PEAT Traineeship are now able to retain their paralegal accreditation. If you have previously surrendered your accreditation due to starting the Pre-PEAT Traineeship, please get in touch at accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk and we can arrange for your accreditation to be reinstated.

Furthering your learning and development with CPD

All paralegals are required to complete 10 hours of CPD throughout the new practice year. 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 be found here.