Institute of Paralegals &

New York City Paralegal Association

PRESS RELEASE

18th November 2010

Project to Create Transatlantic Competency Standards for Paralegals

Many UK law firms have an office in the United States of America, and vice-versa. A significant number of UK and US law firms have merged in a trend that shows no sign of abating.

Typically such transatlantic firms seek to apply uniform expectations and standards to all their fee-earners across the firm. To assist firms achieve this goal, the UK's Institute of Paralegals (IOP) is proud to be partnering with the New York City Paralegal Association (NYCPA) to produce paralegal competency standards relevant to both UK and US paralegals.

The standards, which will be available at no charge, will assist firms to standardize paralegal recruitment, appraisal, development and competency benchmarks.

World's First International Paralegal Standards Project

This project is the first by paralegal representative bodies to create international standards. It highlights the growing sophistication of the paralegal profession in both the UK and US.

About the Project
The IOP and NYCPA have formed a joint working party to create competency standards for paralegals working in transatlantic law firms. The Standards will reflect the usual paralegal career structure, being set at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels.
Modelled upon the IOP'sexisting UK competency standards, the draft transatlantic paralegal competency standards will be circulated for comment to all UK and US transatlantic firms.
James O'Connell, Chief Executive at the IOP said: "Firms want to treat their fee-earners in a consistent manner across all their offices. They also want the same level of performance, competency and professionalism. Our standards will help firms to identify the core skills and knowledge that they should require of their paralegals at the various stages of their career."

Nikki Doughty, International Liaison at the NYCPA said: "This project is a timely response to the increasingly international nature of legal practice. We hope that firms looking to apply consistent standards to their paralegals will find the standards helpful. We're aiming to get significant feedback from firms on both sides of the Atlantic to ensure that the standards are helpful and relevant."

The IOP and the NYCPA are working to have a first draft available for circulation to interested parties before the end of January 2011.

Contact Details
Any firm or other relevant organisation interested in either being on the Joint Standards Working Party or having a watching brief should contact either:
James O'Connell or
Nikki Doughty
Organisations which are already existing members of the IOP's UK Standards Working Partyor who have already requested a watching brief will be automatically included in the consultation.

Note to Editors
1. This project builds upon the successful Competency Standards for Paralegals produced by the Institute and a working party containing numerous law firms and others (see list).
2. For background information on the Institute please visit the Media Centre.
3. For more information on the NYCPA please click hereor email Nikki Doughty of the NYCPA at
4. Whilst a growing list of organisations focus on the potentially lucrative paralegal trainingmarket, the Institute consistently works on the non-commercial aspects of the developing paralegal profession, e.g. competency standards, career paths, paralegal apprenticeships, management standards for paralegal law firms, dialogue with the judiciary and Bar about dealing with paralegals, regulatory matters and offering careers advice and mentoring programmes to schools etc.
5. The IOP is the largest paralegal professional body in the UK. It is the oldest incorporated professional body for paralegals in the UK and is the oldest not-for-profit paralegal body in England & Wales. The IOP was formed in 2003 and granted institute status by the government in 2005 (its application being supported by inter alia, The Law Society, BarCouncil, Citizens Advice and Crown Prosecution Service). Visit our web site.
6. The Institute also publishes The Paralegal - the UK's leading publication for all paralegals. For more information click here.

Quick Links

Institute of Paralegals
New York City Paralegal Association
The Paralegal

Institute of Paralegals Contact Information
Within the United Kingdom phone:
020 7099 9122

Outside the United Kingdom phone:
+44 20 7099 9122

Within the United Kingdom fax:
020 7904 3750

Outside the United Kingdom fax:
+44 20 7904 3750

WebsiteEmail

New York City Paralegal AssociationContact Information
Within the United States phone:
(347) 586 9272
Outside the United States phone:

+1 347 586 9272

WebsiteEmail

The Rise and Rise of Paralegals
Following discussions between the Institute and the Judical Appointments Commission during 2009 and 2010, the JAC has now confirmed that senior paralegals are eligible to apply to become judges of First-tier tribunals. The JAC is currently advertising vacancies of interest to paralegals.

Institute of Paralegals

Setting Standards - Promoting professionalism

PRESS RELEASE

2nd December 2010

Professional Access Scheme Launched
In response to growing concern that the legal sector is becoming more elitist and less diverse, the Institute of Paralegals has launched its Professional Access Scheme.

The Professional Access Scheme (PAS) entails a variety of initiatives to encourage and assist people with sufficient talent to enjoy a career in the legal sector.

The PAS is a rolling programme of initiatives. Current and soon-to-be-launched PAS initiatives are detailed below.

James O'Connell, Chief Executive of the Institute said: "It is not enough to piously wish for wider access to, and diversity within, the legal sector. Responsible professional bodies must take action. The PAS is the new umbrella programme through which we will add our efforts to the good work already being done by other representative bodies such as the Law Society and Bar Council."

1. Law Mentor Programme
This an initiative to assist schools to encourage young people to consider a legal career. The programme links schoolchildren with local practitioners who act as mentors. A pilot scheme is running in the West Midlands. For more information, click here.
2. IOP Apprenticeship Scheme
Due to be launched within the next four weeks, the IOP Apprenticeship Scheme will provide funding support together with advice and assistance to law firms and other legal employers wanting to formally develop and train staff under the age of 25.
3. Careers Advice Days for Schools
Together with the Law Society, Bar Council, Crown Prosecution Service and ilex, we are working in collaboration with the Inspiring Futures Foundation to run a number of legal careers' days for schools.
The next careers' day will be held on 10th December for London schoolchildren. The College of Law is kindly hosting the event.
4. JobCentres Plus
In collaboration with the SAS Law School, we are working to encourage people using JobCentres Plus to consider a career in the legal sector (in a support staff role or otherwise) commensurate with their skills, aptitude and ambition. Those who successfully complete a free training course run by the SAS LawSchool are eligible for one year's free Institute Affiliate membership - and the free careers advice, legal updater service, news service and professional services discounts available to members.
5. Support for Law Graduates
We want to help university law schools to increase the employability of their graduates.
We are in the process of partnering some law schools to see if their law degrees can be mapped against the Institute's Introductory Level Competency Standards for Paralegals.
The Introductory Level Standards reflect what the profession says it wants from entry-level paralegals and were drafted by a working party consisting primarily of law firms. The Standards have also been vetted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to ensure they meet professional conduct expectations.
The Standards benchmark against a wide range of skills, talents and knowledge (such as client care and business awareness).
Those universities able to credibly and rigorously map their undergraduates against the Standards will enable their students to demonstrate to potential employers that they meet many of the requirements expected of entry-level paralegals.
To find out more about the Institute's Competency Standards in general please click here. To view a copy of the Introductory Level Competency Standards for Paralegals, then pleaseclick here.
All of the Institute's Competency Standards are available to download and use free-of-charge.

6. Route to Qualification

Two of the major barriers to a career in the legal sector is lack of access to information about career options, and the lack of recognised career paths generally for non-lawyers.

We have addressed the first problem by working with a number of careers advisory services. We have addressed the second problem by creating a career path for paralegals which is nationally recognised and supported by scores of leading stakeholders.

Crucially our Route to Qualification (R2Q) is not a training programme. Three of the four stages can be achieved by proven experience without the need for formal training (although if a paralegal has recognised formal training then he/she can fast-track people along the R2Q).

Another unique feature of the Route to Qualification is that we recognise the training provided by numerous different training providers including university law schools, theBTECs in Advanced Diploma in Paralegal Workoffered by Central Law Training, many ilex courses and theSpecialist Paralegal Qualificationsoffered by the University of the West of England (in conjunction with CLT).

For more information on the Route to Qualification, pleaseclick here.