The Post Graduate Diploma in Paralegal Practice (the PPC)
THE POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN PARALEGAL PRACTICE (PPC)
Why take the PPC Course?
Paralegals deal more with the procedural side of the Law than the academic although, of course, it is essential that they have a sound knowledge and understanding of the latter. Law Graduates, therefore, are not immediately equipped to obtain a job as a Paralegal. The Post Graduate Diploma in Paralegal Practice is a practical qualification which will provide not only a sound knowledge of practice and procedure but also hands on training covering the legal skills of interviewing, advocacy, drafting and negotiating, plus training in the areas of Civil Litigation, Criminal work, Matrimonial Disputes, Conveyancing, Succession and Corporate & Commercial work.
Graduates taking the PPC course will have an obvious advantage over all those who do not - they will have GAINED A COMPETITIVE EDGE OVER FELLOW GRADUATES.
The Post Graduate Diploma in Paralegal Practice is designed to bridge the gap between an academic Degree and the practical and procedural knowledge and skills necessary to be able to function effectively as a Career Paralegal. Alternatively, it will provide the Graduate with a foundation for subsequent professional development and will help them in their quest to obtain a Training Contract or to make a decision whether to do the LPC course.
A Degree is an academic qualification, but a Paralegal needs to also know Procedural Law and Practice.
Law Graduates have already invested a lot of time and money into gaining their Degrees. Statistically, only a relative minority are able to secure Training Contracts, but this need not be the end of the line! 45% of Solicitors' firms employ Graduates as Paralegals and more and more Solicitors are looking to Paralegals, not only to make their Practices more cost effective, but also (so far as Graduates are concerned), law firms are increasingly recruiting Paralegals as a way of selecting those suitable for a Training Contract.
Being a Paralegal is a great professional career in itself, however, and if you want to be a lawyer, but cannot get that Training Contract, then this is the best alternative - the third arm of the Legal Profession.
REFERRALS FROM THE LAW SOCIETY
The Association has received dozens of referrals via the Law Society on all aspects relating to Paralegals, especially Graduates who are looking for Paralegal jobs and this was one of the reasons why we introduced this course in 2000 and it has been run extremely successfully since then.