New course to boost paralegal careers and the legal sector

A new university course for Scottish paralegals has been created to support career development while meeting the complex and varied needs of the legal sector.

The Law Society of Scotland has partnered with Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen to offer an accredited qualification tailored to paralegals, the first of its kind in Scotland.

With flexibility and accessibility at its core, the two-year online course is open to both current and prospective paralegals both in Scotland and internationally and will welcome its first cohort of students in January of 2024.

John Clifford, Dean of the Law School at RGU, said: “This new paralegal course is an ideal fit for the university’s Law School and we’re excited to have developed a curriculum that will meet the needs of both students and employers.

“The course will support high-quality paralegal work by providing a strong grounding in Scots law plus specialised knowledge in key practice areas. Experience working in the legal sector will be highly regarded in gaining entry to the course, rather than past academic performance.

“Our online-based LLB degree program has proven enormously successful and this course will similarly offer a flexible approach to legal learning that’s accessible to anyone in Scotland and beyond.”

RGU’s Law School was the first in Scotland to offer an online LLB and this new course and partnership further builds on the University’s strategic mission to transform people and communities through accessible teaching excellence.

Law Society of Scotland President Sheila Webster said: “A quality paralegal is an enormous asset to any legal team. This new course will ensure paralegals are properly recognised for their skills and expertise, while also meeting the needs of employers in what’s a complex legal landscape.

“This is the first time the Law Society has been so involved in developing a course of study. Our Accredited Paralegal Committee has provided invaluable input, as have employers who’ve told us they want a more structured career path for their paralegals.

“RGU’s course will build on a decade of work by the Law Society through its voluntary paralegal accreditation scheme. It will not only support paralegals but ensure the legal sector’s growing demand for these skill sets can be met.”

Interested applicants can find out more about the course on RGU’s website or on the Law Society of Scotland website.