.jpg)
Course Profile | Your Inside Look at the NALP Level 3 Diploma
Part 2: Entering Specialized Fields
As a paralegal, your opportunities depend on your knowledge and your qualifications. The NALP Level 3 Diploma in Paralegal Practice offers a complete professional education in everything you need to know to work as a paralegal! After your introduction to the world of paralegal work with ‘Introduction to Law’ and ‘Legal Ethics and Responsibilities’, you’ll get straight into the specialized knowledge you’ll need to work in any legal field.
These units begin the part of the course which covers paralegal work in specialized fields. You will gain a number of skills in these units, including: the ability to identify and use factual, procedural and theoretical understanding to complete tasks and address well defined but complex or non-routine issues; time management to include taking responsibility for initiating and completing tasks; the ability to exercise autonomy and judgement within a given scenario; and the ability to use and interpret legal language.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll learn in the next few units:
Wills and Succession for Paralegals
-
This area of law governs how someone’s property is legally dealt with when they die. It is an important area of practice for many firms.
-
In understanding the procedure and practice of Wills and Succession, you will be able to effectively assist in Wills and Succession matters in a solicitor’s firm, a paralegal firm or other alternative business structure.
Civil Litigation for Paralegals
-
Civil litigation refers to all the court work and procedures surrounding civil actions. A civil action is an official complaint made by a private entity in a court of law which seeks redress for harm that someone else has done them.
-
In understanding how civil actions work, you will be able to assist in civil litigation cases in legal practice. You’ll also be able to provide services within legal departments for organizations involved in litigation.
Criminal Litigation for Paralegals
-
Criminal litigation deals with the work and procedures involved in the prosecution of criminal offences. While civil cases usually involve private disputes between persons or organizations, criminal cases are usually filed by the government and seek punishment for offences.
-
You will understand the criminal litigation procedure in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court from arrest to trial. You will also learn the professional conduct requirements when dealing with criminal litigation, and the role of a Paralegal in this area of law.
These units will give you all the information you need to begin your work as a paralegal in any of the fields above. By the time you’ve received your NALP Level 3 Diploma in Paralegal Practice, you’ll have developed your skills in several other areas of law as well! In the next blog post, we’ll go over the second half of the course, which dives into the other legal fields in which you could pursue a career. You can also check out the course page here for more info! To be continued…
