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We now have a dedicated office to run the joint Degree Programme.Please request further information from John Stacey-Hibbert at Southerneastern@aol.com or phone 01208 863 195.

The Programme, which this year celebrates the eighth year since its commencement, is run by the Association in conjunction with the Southern Eastern University of Arkansas, USA. It was designed as a qualification above that of the Fellowship Award, to assist Members in their career development as Paralegals. and we are extremely pleased at how successful it has been. It operates at both Bachelor and Masters levels.

GIVE YOURSELF A CHALLENGE by Tracy Walton LLM, LLB (Hons), F.PLL I have just finished my Masters Degree with the Association through their Joint Degree Programme with Southern EasternUniversity and would like to tell all Members that it is the best qualification I have ever undertaken. It seemed very daunting at the beginning when a title has to be chosen and a Dissertation Proposal submitted for consideration and approval and when you have to work out a plan of action, but perseverance certainly pays off My Dissertation concerned the areas of 'unlawful killing' and in order to gain a balanced view of the subject I had to consider and incorporate the view of many other countries. This was the most fascinating aspect of the study. Until the systems of other countries are understood you cannot folly understand the strengths and weaknesses of our own system. At first confusion reigned and it certainly made me feel "Why have I done this?!", but I closely followed the information, advice and guidance received from the Association and stuck to it. I worked out a study plan, time frame and guide, set my goals and worked to them, checking my work as I went along. I would urge students not to think that they can manage on their own. Follow the guidance given and set targets to reach, e.g. when to have an outline done, when the first write up should be completed, when to check work, etc. It is very useful to get somebody else to read what you have set down, and to ask questions. Critical analysis from others very often allows you to see a better way of putting what you are trying to get at. Do not be afraid to ask for help. This can be from the Association itself or from other organisations and bodies. This is, of course, the object of research - there are numerous individuals and organisations that are concerned with or are involved in the matters upon which you are researching, who are only too willing to help. For example, I needed a copy of a Government Bill. All I had to do was contact my MP and within 3 weeks I bad a copy and all the information I needed and the offer of more help should I need it. As I said, the work can be daunting and confusing when you start This is especially so if you have a restrictive environment in which to work - e.g. family life, work, etc. My advice is to go ahead and give yourself the personal challenge. Law and the legal system are not easy subjects by any stretch of the Imagination and there are as many viewpoints as there are rules. There will be problems along the way when studying and researching, but there is no better feeling when, at last, you have finished writing the Dissertation and submitted it, knowing that you have given it of your very best. The harder you work the better the feeling! So Good Luck to all who are studying, whatever the level or qualification. You won't regret the time or the effort. Thank you!

When, all those years ago, we were originally looking for a further career progression route above the Fellowship Award, we found that UK Universities were too inflexible to be able to offer what we wanted. The nearest was the External LLB Programme offered by London University which is a four year course but, again, it did not contain the flexibility that we were after. Those Members who would be interested, like Tracy, have careers and also most of them have domestic, family and social constraints. It was necessary, therefore, to look elsewhere and that is why the Degrees that are offered are from an American University. Southern Eastern was chosen because they work with existing professional organisations (They do not offer degrees to the public direct) to incorporate the qualifications that applicants have already gained from those professional organisations as part of the degree requirements. Because of the business, family and other constraints, applicants do not want to have to take courses and assessments in those subjects which they had already studied and obtained qualifications in.

So the Programme was evolved. Part I would consist of the Association's Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies (or the Advanced Award in Paralegal Studies for the Voluntary and Community Sectors) and Part II would be a period of research and study in an area of the applicants choosing (to be agreed by. the Association and SEU) followed by the writing of a Dissertation of not less than 20,000 words to be assessed internally by the Association and externally by the University.

We thought that this would reflect the academic status of a graduate and the value of the Degrees because it is not easy to conduct research and prepare and write a Dissertation on the findings. The first programme, which was scheduled to start at a particular time and finish at a particular time, was a great success. However, this proved somewhat inflexible and now the programme can be started at any time but cannot be undertaken in less than 14 months. The following is a letter received from one of the earlier graduates. She was thrilled with the effect that her work and the award of the Degree had had on her career.