If you have obtained a formal qualification but have less than two years' experience, you can apply to become a trainee Accredited Paralegal. The traineeship usually takes one year to complete, during which time, you will work with your supervising solicitor to help develop your skills and knowledge.
You can complete your traineeship either working in-house or in private practice.
The traineeship lasts for one year and during this year you will train in a specific practice area under the supervision of a supervising solicitor.
Each practice area has a set of core competencies which we expect you to be working towards and to be meeting by the end of this year. The competencies cover all aspects of your practice area, from what you should have knowledge of through to the skills you should have acquired.
During this year you will also be required to complete 10 hours of continual professional development.
Quarterly reviews are required so we can assess your progress throughout your traineeship, ensuring that by the end of the year you meet the standard of a Law Society of Scotland Accredited Paralegal.
At the end of each quarter, you and your supervising solicitor will look at the review questions based on your work during that period. It will be an opportunity to assess your development and see if there are any areas where more training is required. It is important that this is a collaborative process between you and your supervising solicitor.
We have recently made changes to our Trainee Quarterly Review form.
Paralegals that are new to the traineeship, will be asked to complete the NEW TQR template. This template should be used for the duration of the traineeship.
Paralegals that are part way through the traineeship will be asked to continue using the OLD TQR template and Grading Structure to ensure consistency across each of their reviews.
You will be notified four weeks before each of your reviews is due.
Your quarterly reviews and CPD will be assessed by us. We will be looking for clear progression throughout your traineeship year and that you meet the standards expected of Accredited Paralegal.
Once we are satisfied that you meet those standards, you will be awarded the Law Society of Scotland Accredited Paralegal Status.
You will be issued with a certificate, and you can download the Accredited Paralegal logo for use on your email sign off, website and business cards. You can download the logo from the member login area.
