The National Association of Licensed Paralegals
THE PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR PARALEGALS
The National Association of Licensed Paralegals is the leading professional body for Paralegals in England and Wales and in 2008 will be celebrating its 21st year.
Formed in 1987, as The Paralegal Association, its initial purpose was to provide qualifications and career development for paralegals and solicitor's support staff and to 'fill the gap' that existed by the length of time that it took to qualify as a Legal Executive.
First examinations took place in 1988, under the accreditation of the Associated Examining Board, through Further Education Colleges up and down the country.
GENERAL SECRETARY
Due to its expansion nationally, extensive re-organisation was necessary and in 1994 took on a full-time General Secretary, relocated to larger offices in the South West and changed its name to 'The National Association of Paralegals'.
THE HIGHER CERTIFICATE QUALIFICATION
As part of this re-organisation its courses and qualifications were re-examined and revised. As a result it established its main qualification for the career paralegal as 'The Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies' which led to eligibility for Associate Membership of the Association and the ability to use the designatory letters 'A.PLL'.
Following a strict accreditation process, the Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies was, in 1996, awarded national approval and accreditation by the National Open College Network (NOCN), a network of Further and Higher Educational colleges and educational establishments throughout England and Wales. Since 1989 when the first examinations were held, over 7000 Members have sat for the qualification of Associate Member (A.PLL) - the Association's Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies
Later that year a further move became necessary and the Association acquired offices in the County Town of Exeter, one of the legal centres of the South West, where it was based until 2005.
FURTHER QUALIFICATIONS
Continuing growth saw the introduction of further qualifications: The Fellowship Award, leading to Fellowship of the Association (F.PLL), expanded to provide some seventeen different subject areas; a Post Graduate Diploma in Paralegal Practice was introduced, as a result of referrals by The Law Society, to assist Law Graduates, who were unable to obtain a training contract, to achieve the necessary knowledge and skills in procedural law to enable them to take the alternative career route as a career Paralegal. The demand for a specialised legal qualification to assist the efficient running of community and voluntary associations involved in regional and area regeneration was met by the development, in conjunction with a leading Development Trust in the North West, of the highly successful Advanced Award in Paralegal Studies for the Voluntary and Community Sectors, (approved and accredited by the NOCN), which was subsequently followed by a Foundation Award and a Fellowship Award in the same sectors.
THE INSTITUTE OF LEGAL SECRETARIES AND PAs
Prior to 1995, the Association ran its Legal Secretaries Diploma course, mainly in London. It was enormously successful. In 1995 we took over The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, which was founded in 1990 - the only professional body, in England and Wales, for legal secretaries. This was completely re-structured under separate management and as a result the Association transferred all its legal secretarial courses and memberships to the Institute. Together the Association and the Institute now cater for virtually all Solicitors' support staff.
A close association with the Commonwealth Faculty of Research and Advanced Legal Studies (ComFRALS) resulted in the accreditation, moderation and certification by the Association of their Certificate and Diploma in Legislative Drafting, the first course of which attracted students from many parts of the Commonwealth. www.comFRALS.co.uk
LICENSING
Over time it became apparent that the legal profession, generally, was changing and there became a perceived need for the Paralegal profession to become more in tune with the changing market. As a result of the introduction by the Government of a review of Legal Services by Sir David Clementi in 2004, the Association, after consultation, published its Strategic Plan for the Self-Regulation of the Paralegal Profession by way of Licensing. This was implemented in 2005 following the publication of the Clementi Report and accordingly the Association was restructured as "The National Association of Licensed Paralegals" and commenced issuing Licenses to those Paralegals who could satisfy the criteria laid down by the Association, of Knowledge, Competence, Dedication, Good Character and Continuing Professional Development. The Association provides this as the bench-mark in England and Wales for the qualified, experienced and dedicated Paralegal. As a result, the Association now caters for all Paralegals, at whatever stage they have reached in their career development.
The aim of the Licensing provisions is to provide for the regulation of Paralegals and to bring them in line with the rest of the legal profession. Whereas anyone can call themselves a 'Paralegal', only those who can fulfil the criteria laid down by the Association can call themselves a 'Licensed Paralegal'. By gaining qualifications and experience, Paralegals can work, through the Association, towards gaining the coveted goal of being Licensed.
RELOCATING TO LONDON
Owing to increased expansion, the Association, in 2005, relocated its Head Office to Bristol which is more centrally situated in the UK and more recently in 2008 - to London.
As a result of the quality of the career development offered by the Association, the University of Sunderland negotiated a programme with us to provide for their undergraduates the Association's Higher Diploma in Procedural Law. This allowed the University to offer to their students an alternative career path should they not be able to secure a training contract to go on to qualify as a Solicitor. The effect is that on Graduation the student will receive their Law Degree, the Association's Higher Diploma in Procedural Law and Graduate Membership of the Association. The University of Bradford are following suite in September 2006.
The Association now has Members throughout England and Wales as well as in America, Antigua, Arabian Gulf, Australia, Austria, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Isles, British West Indies, Canada, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam