Paralegals: different paths to the law

• Today many people who want a legal career are choosing to become paralegals.
• Apart from ‘reserved activities’, paralegals can do mostly everything that a solicitor can do.
• As a paralegal you can provide a cost-effective service, backed by the credibility of being a member of a recognised membership body for paralegals.

Over the centuries in England, it’s been the case that consumers of legal services tend to consider a ‘lawyer’ to be either a barrister or a solicitor. Not so anymore! Many people who want a legal career are choosing to become paralegals.

Paralegals are educated and trained in a similar way to solicitors. Some of them have law degrees, while others have successfully completed nationally recognised paralegal qualifications. They can do mostly everything that a solicitor can do, except the practice of some activities which remain the monopoly of solicitors. These activities