The journey to becoming an Accredited Paralegal

Kirsty Dutch, an accredited paralegal in wills, trusts and executries at Anderson Beaton Lamond Solicitors and member of the Accredited Paralegal Committee, tells us about her journey to become an accredited paralegal.

Having just been appointed as a member of the Law Society’s Accredited Paralegal Committee in January 2023, writing a post on my journey to becoming an accredited paralegal seemed fitting, especially as I’ve been through all three stages; having started as a trainee, then an accredited paralegal and now a member of the Accredited Paralegal Committee.

When I graduated from University in 2015 with a Business Studies Degree, I never expected a career in law to be where I was heading. In fact, after graduating, I never really had a set-out path I wanted to follow. However, I knew I wanted to make use of the skills I had learned from university so when job hunting, I kept an open mind when looking at different opportunities.

A few months later, I joined Anderson Beaton Lamond Solicitors as a Legal Secretary. Then in 2016, I started my Specialist Qualification in Wills, Trusts, and Executries with Central Law Training Scotland (CLT) and the University of Strathclyde. Working full-time and studying brought its challenges but 15 months later, I had passed my coursework and exams. Safe to say it was worth the late nights and weekends studying.

I, personally, learn best when putting information I have studied into practical tasks. So, with the full support of my colleagues, it made studying and learning easier. For example, I worked closely with my colleagues in the Private Client Department which gave me hands-on experience in preparing documentation and reporting to clients. I was very lucky (and still am) to be surrounded by such a supportive group of colleagues.

My time as a Legal Secretary provided me with the stepping-stone I needed to learn the everyday tasks in a law firm, from typing up dictations and speaking to clients, to filing documentation, it has all helped shape the paralegal I have become.

Once I had passed my qualification with CLT, I then had the opportunity to apply to the Law Society to become a trainee accredited paralegal. At the time, the new position of ‘accredited paralegal’ had been in place for around two years. One of my colleagues at the firm was an accredited paralegal so it was always my ambition to apply to become accredited. To me, it was a recognition of all the hard work I had put in to get this far.

After submitting my application alongside evidence of my qualification, I was then awarded my traineeship certificate and the guidelines to follow in order to become accredited. You’ll find that you are well supported on your one-year traineeship as you have a set of competencies to work alongside as well as 10 hours of CPD to complete. The traineeship itself was split into four quarters. At the end of each quarter, I was required to have a review with my supervising solicitor and submit the review to the Law Society.

After what felt like the quickest year, my final review was submitted and reviewed by the Law Society. Then came the confirmation that I was officially an accredited paralegal.

Gaining the accreditation was a huge moment for me. It was a milestone that I set out to achieve at the start of my paralegal studies. As I mentioned, when leaving University, I never thought a career in law was where I was headed but now I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.

With around 600 accredited paralegals in Scotland, it is fantastic to see how much of an impact paralegals are having on the Scottish Law system. I am proud of my achievements and how far I have come in the past few years. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about a career in law, to consider the route to becoming an accredited paralegal. You never know where this may lead!

After four years of being an accredited paralegal I could not pass on the opportunity to join the Law Society's Accredited Paralegal Committee. Being able to give back and have an influence on the future of accredited paralegals is something that I am excited to be part of. I am currently in my first term on the Committee and looking forward to working with the other committee members over the next few years.

If you're interested in becoming a part of the accredited paralegal community, you can submit your application now.