The way to develop your own legal talent

Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs are just two footballers who joined clubs (Liverpool and Manchester United, respectively) as boys and became incredible assets. Football clubs routinely find and develop talent, and there’s no reason solicitors’ offices can’t do the same. If you have promising junior staff, you may want to encourage them to become paralegals. The route is affordable and flexible.

Let’s take a look at the options.

Studying at their own pace

A great way to keep life and work in balance is to choose a course that allows study at the individual’s own pace. This can be easily done by enrolling for an online distance learning course. For example, NPC (National Paralegal College) is an online college offering bespoke NALP paralegal qualifications at affordable prices. People can choose the level of qualification and can be given up to two years to complete it (depending on which qualification is chosen).

Qualifications range from single subject awards (one year to complete) to a full diploma at Level 3. This is the entry level. There is also progression to a Level 4 Diploma, if someone wishes to continue studying.

For all these courses, there is full tutorial support to help students go all the way.

Flexible payments

Many courses offer flexible payment terms for UK residents; just pay the deposit and then follow with interest free instalments. Overseas colleges offer different terms, so check first.

Where to start

Level 3 is a good place to start because if someone has never studied law before, or haven’t studied since school, it’s an excellent way to find out if it’s for them. It’s then possible to build up qualifications slowly, completing one single subject award and then another, as best suits each individual. Depending on how they get on, they can escalate their studies, or more slowly at their own pace, to the next level.

Duration

With there being no overall period to complete the course, it is totally up to each person how long it takes them. For example, a Single Subject Level 3 Award can quite easily be completed within a few months, although there is an overall timeframe of one year.

All other NALP paralegal qualifications, which are recognised by Ofqual, have an overall timeframe of two years, which means that there is plenty of time to drop in and out, whether it be to start a family, or to get used to a new job, and still have time to come back to their studies when they are ready.

Completed a law degree?

If someone has successfully completed a law degree but cannot afford to continue with their career path (perhaps because their circumstances have changed) or if they have got married or decided to start a family, or have caring responsibilities, but they remain interested in working in the legal sector, there are options for them too. They could consider enrolling for the NALP Level 7 Diploma in Paralegal Practice – an affordable way to qualify as a paralegal, after completing a degree, without it taking too much extra time. Completion can be within six to eight months, although the maximum timeframe is, once again, two years. The flexibility of distance learning means that someone can fit their studies around their work and/or home commitments.

Ability to change mid-way through

Even once someone has started a paralegal qualification, they can change things around. For example, if they start studying via distance learning but find it’s not their thing, they can switch to another training provider that offers classroom attendance, and they can gain prior learning exemptions for the NALP paralegal module(s) they have already successfully completed.

And if later someone decides to qualify as a solicitor and they have a Level 6 Qualification (it does not have to be in law), they can easily convert their qualifications and experience by initially enrolling for the BARBRI SQE (Solicitor’s Qualifying Exams) Prep Course, which is an excellent way to prepare for the SQE 1 and 2.

For some, a law career is a dream job, but one that can seem unattainable due to the cost and time needed. By choosing the paralegal route there are many options available.