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11 March 2019 / Amanda Hamilton
Categories: Features , Profession
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Praise to the paralegal

Paralegals are the unsung heroes of the legal sector, so show your appreciation this National Paralegal Day, says Amanda Hamilton

This Thursday, 14 March 2019, is the first National Paralegal Day in the UK—a day that has been marked to celebrate the work that paralegals do as the unsung heroes of the legal services sector and beyond.

Many solicitors regard paralegals as wannabe solicitors—LLB/LPC graduates who cannot find training contracts. It is also true to say that a number of graduates who are desperate to be offered that elusive training contract, do approach solicitors’ firms for paralegal work. Any wonder then, that this is the manner in which paralegals are regarded. However, in reality, these paralegals make up just a fraction of who paralegals are. Many, in reality, wish to be career paralegals and want to be recognised as such rather than would-be solicitors.

As CEO of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP), the foremost paralegal membership body I am in a good position to recognise that the vast majority of

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

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NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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