Employers may need to offer development opportunities and long-term career progress for paralegals in order to retain them in an increasingly competitive marketplace, Linda Ford, CEO of CILEX, writes in this week’s NLJ
The role of paralegals has changed considerably, as the role of fully qualified lawyers has changed, leading employers to realise that ‘in order to remain competitive, paralegals need to be central to their business’, Ford notes. She highlights the considerable growth in demand in recent years.
Ford explains the professional paralegal standards framework and career ladder that has been set up, offering the opportunity to become a Chartered Paralegal.
She writes: ‘While in the past paralegals would have been primarily working in a support role, often as a stepping stone to becoming a qualified lawyer, it is now a profession in its own right… Many are running their own departments and have their own caseloads, others have set up their own businesses.’RELATED ARTICLES
