Licensing Criteria
Licensing Criteria:
The following are the criteria to be satisfied:
Knowledge:
An applicant must be able to show an adequate knowledge and understanding of both substantive law and procedure. Evidence of any of the following would satisfy this criterion:
(a) The Association's Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies comprising passing both Modules - General Principles of Law (5 units) and Procedural Law (5 Units).
(b) Any other qualification of similar level, such as
ILEX Parts 1 & 2; an HND, LLB, BA(Law), CPE/PGDipLaw or NVQ 4 in legal studies, plus the LPC, PPC or other procedural law qualification;
(c) Any professional qualification, qualifications or a combination of them, which includes a substantial law element which, in the opinion of the Association's Licensing Board. is acceptable either in itself or in conjunction with a LPC, PPC or other procedural law qualification and/or experience; "Other procedural law qualification" can be the Procedural Law Module of the Association's Higher Certificate or any other procedural law qualification acceptable to the Association.
(d) A formal qualification may be dispensed with, at the discretion of the said Licensing Board, for Paralegals who have appropriate qualifying experience (see below).
Competence:
Each applicant for a Licence must show a necessary period of qualifying experience (defined as work within a solicitor's office, barristers chambers or legal department of an industrial or commercial firm, company or corporation or within the public sector or any other environment which in all the individual circumstances is approved by the said Licensing Board), as follows:
Such work must be either:
(1) at least 50% of employed time as a 'fee earner' with direct responsibility for their own clients and/or workload and minimum supervision or
(2) assisting and being responsible to a qualified solicitor, barrister, legal executive or paralegal and undertaking at least 75% of employed time in directly contributing in the pursuit of goals and the implementing of procedures (excluding purely secretarial and office administrative matters).
The requisite period of qualifying experience will be:
(a) Not less than two years immediately preceding the application for a Licence if the applicant has the necessary qualification, or (ii) An aggregate total of six years within the seven year period preceding the date of application for a Licence if the applicant has no such qualifications (subject to the provision set out in paragraph (2) of this section), or (iii) A combination of qualifications and/or qualifying experience which in individual circumstances shall be approved by the said Licensing Board.
(b) Any applicant seeking a Licence under Paragraph 1 (ii) of this section will have a period of two years from the date of the first Licence to obtain, through the Association, NOCN credits at Level 3 in The English Legal System plus either The Law of Contract, The Law of Tort or Criminal Law, plus either Civil Litigation, Criminal Practice, Matrimonial Disputes, Conveyancing or Succession or some such other qualifications that in individual circumstances shall be approved by the said Licensing Board.
