Routes to accreditation

The Accredited Paralegal Status is open to anyone working as a paralegal under the supervision of a Scottish solicitor, either in private practice or in-house. Our members range from individuals who have worked in the paralegal profession for several years to those just starting their career. Whatever your circumstances we would encourage you to apply.

There are three routes available:

If you have a formal qualification and over two years’ experience as a paralegal working within one of our 15 practice areas, you can apply for an accreditation in that area of law. We will ask you to provide evidence that you have been continuously working and are proficient in the general competencies for an accredited paralegal and the specific competencies for your chosen practice area. 

If you have a formal qualification but less than two years' experience working within one of our 15 practice areas, you can apply to become a Trainee Accredited Paralegal.

The area-specific accreditation and the traineeship are available for the following areas of practice:  

If you hold a relevant qualification and have more than two years’ experience as a paralegal - either across multiple practice areas or within an area of law out with the 15 practice areas you can apply for the General Accreditation.

Not sure if you are eligible?

We appreciate that some paralegals may not be able to meet all the criteria either in terms of qualifications or competencies. If you want to discuss your eligibility, please just get in touch by emailing us at accreditedparalegals@lawscot.org.uk.