Cambridge University Targets Support Staff

Law firm Support Staff New Specialised Legal Qualifications

In another sign of the increasing status and importance of paralegals and legal support staff, Cambridge University, in partnership with the Institute of Paralegals, is launching two new legal qualifications this October.

Both qualifications - the Certificate in Legal Practice, and the Certificate in Legal Skills - are practically orientated qualifications which were created with the Institute’s assistance to meet the needs of non-lawyers working in and with the law, and in particular:

·        Paralegals

·        Business support staff (e.g. HR and Learning & Development Managers)

·        Senior legal secretaries

Both courses will be delivered mostly online. However students will have to attend a weekend induction day at a Cambridge college.

Successful completion of either course will become one of the routes to Institute Fellowship, and thus Certified Paralegal status.

Students can choose from over 27 modules (all of which can be taken as individual-stand alone CPD courses). Examples are:

- Introduction to Legal Practice
- Introduction to Legal Research and Writing
- Contract Drafting and Interpretation for Practitioners
- Introduction to the City, Financial Services and Companies House
- Practical Skills for Paralegals
- Introduction to Commercial Law
- Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
- Introduction to Employment Law
- Introduction to Family Law
- Conduct of Proceedings for Paralegals

James O'Connell, Chief Executive of the Institute of Paralegals said, “These courses will appeal to employers looking for a way to develop, reward, motivate and retain their key support staff.” in particular, he thought the courses would appeal to firms trying to recruit the best local talent in their overseas offices.

 He also thinks that many individuals will enjoy the option of studying law at one of the top five universities in the world.

Sharon Collins, Director of Professional Studies at Cambridge University said “These courses have been designed to provide a flexible approach that will enable paralegals and other law firm staff to gain a qualification that has been specially designed to meet their unique needs.”

The Cambridge qualifications are part of the Institute project to build the comprehensive IoP National Training Framework for legal support staff.

The Cambridge qualifications supplement the Institute's BTEC qualifications which were created by the Institute in partnership with Edexcel to offer affordable, accessible practical legal training in schools and FE colleges, and the LPQ (Legal Professional Qualification) qualification created in partnership with BPP to assist law graduates who cannot go on to the LPC.