Another step forward

CILEX Chair Professor Chris Bones reflects on the recent Institute of Paralegals acquisition and its significance in the move towards a modern and inclusive legal services sector

The much-heralded acquisition by CILEX of the Institute of Paralegals (IoP) is not just a welcome endorsement of the attractiveness of CILEX as a professional body and umbrella organisation for specialist legal professionals – it also presages a long-desired opportunity amongst paralegals working in every aspect of legal services for professional recognition and standing in their own right.

Whilst, for some, working in a paralegal role is a step towards qualifying as a fully authorised legal professional, for many others it is a career in itself. Yet for professional paralegals there has not, until now, been a single national body able to provide both a formally recognised professional status and a professional qualification route that supports them and enhances their standing in the sector. This is despite there being over 100,000 paralegals working across all aspects of the law, from private practice firms through to in-house roles in commercial enterprises and public bodies.

Strategic investment

The decision to invest in the acquisition of the IoP is part of our wholesale strategic re-set for CILEX. It sits alongside significant investments in the new CPQ, in apprenticeship standards in England and Wales for paralegals and specialist lawyers, investment in activity to support the changes needed from government and regulators to remove the last remaining barriers to parity with solicitors for Chartered Legal Executives, and investment in new technology and systems to deliver enhanced member services and support.

“An increasing number of firms can see the value of investing in specialist lawyers rather than generalists”

Since 2019, we have invested over £1.3m of membership money to modernise our professional qualifications so that they meet the needs of employers and individuals, and can fit into a rapidly changing legal services environment.

Employers of legal professionals now want far more than a traditionally qualified solicitor. They are looking for professionals who understand project management, can engage and build relationships with clients for the longer term, can exploit digital opportunities and who understand marketing and business development.

An increasing number of firms can see the value of investing in specialist lawyers rather than generalists who they then need to re-train further to deliver legal services in their chosen markets. The vast majority are also expecting to deliver more through paralegals.

Significant opportunity

Bringing together the IoP and CILEX presents paralegals with a significant opportunity to move away from being seen as a support service or in a transient position en-route to somewhere else. Using the Professional Paralegal Register established by the IoP and the status of CILEX as a Royal Charter body, offers the opportunity of creating a paralegal profession in its own right – one with a chartered status and a regulatory structure that enhances the role and can, over time, provide professional progression as a paralegal.

This is the strategic opportunity we have invested in: the chance for CILEX to become the home for all non-traditional legal professionals, within which all can stand as equals, with their own routes to qualification and a regulatory structure that enhances the value of every member to employers and to those they serve in the wider community.

It is in the public interest that any legal professional who delivers consumer legal services is able to acquire formal recognition of their skills and experience with an assurance that they are regulated to work to that standard. This merger gives paralegals the opportunity to join a professional body that holds a national register and for those who want to, the option of acquiring recognised qualifications that will be valued by employers and consumer alike.

We already offer this for paralegals who are working towards becoming fully authorised specialist lawyers though our CPQ framework. We are now looking at how best to deliver a progression pathway for career paralegals, with the opportunity to achieve Chartered Paralegal status for those who demonstrate that they meet the required standards set by CILEX.

This is an exciting proposal that has already generated significant employer and paralegal interest. But it is more than that. It offers 100,000 legal professionals the opportunity for external validation, career enhancement and the opportunity to continue the professionalisation of legal services, underpinned by regulation that is fit for purpose.