Paralegal Achievement Awards 2026
Highest Achievement Award for the NALP Level 4 Diploma for Associate Paralegals
WINNER: Joanna Kelly
Congratulations to Joanna Kelly, one of our 2026 winners in the NALP Paralegal Achievement Awards. Joanna scored the highest marks in the NALP Level 4 Diploma for Associate Paralegals, and here she shares her thoughts on studying to be a paralegal and her plans for the future.
Congratulations on your achievement. You must be very proud.
I am proud to have completed my paralegal qualification because it required a great deal of commitment, discipline and hard work. Throughout the course I developed a deeper understanding of the legal system and the important role that paralegals play.
Paralegals help make legal services more accessible by offering valuable legal support in a cost-effective way. Achieving the highest score in the course was a real personal achievement for me and gave me confidence. Finding it so interesting as well was a surprising bonus!
Why did you choose to do a NALP qualification?
I’ve always regretted not studying law at university and wanted to see if it was for me. Most higher-level law courses are out of my price range so I presumed A-Level Law would be my only option. Then I came across this higher education qualification in paralegal studies which was Ofqual-regulated. In contrast to the A-Level syllabus, the NALP Level 4 course content seemed more about handling real-life legal scenarios, acquiring skills as opposed to theoretical knowledge. And unlike most other courses, it was affordable for me via instalment payments. I signed up with the National Paralegal College and began the course right away.
What are you looking forward to about working as a paralegal?
What I am most looking forward to is the opportunity to put my studies into practice and continue developing within the legal profession. The best thing about the course was that it focused on the practical application of the legal principles you had just studied. You have to apply the law to real world scenarios and that builds confidence in being work-ready and of value. I am excited by the prospect of applying the knowledge and skills I have learned.
What advice might you give someone studying right now to help them be a winner next year?
My top tip is to choose a good ereader! Each workbook provides you with everything you need to pass the exams and complete the assignments. You are in charge of how you absorb the course material, and I recommend choosing an ebook reader that can highlight and annotate.
Highlight sparingly, aiming for a few phrases or sentences that best represent the content of that page. The process of ‘hunting’ those ideal sentences inevitably engrains the knowledge. Annotation will allow you to add your own notes.
The practice Q&As throughout the workbook are especially important as they mimic how you will be assessed: applying legal principles to scenarios. You will find yourself revisiting these questions a lot, so I developed the habit of creating popup boxes containing the correct answers right next to their questions. This made revision a breeze, with a finger tap revealing the correct answer, rather than constantly scrolling back and forward through an ebook.
Besides the technology, you need to embrace being your own tutor if this is your first time studying by distance. One big advantage with this course is that you have considerable control over deadlines. Assessments for all units are monthly, and you get to decide when you are ready to take one. You will generally find yourself with a period of 1-4 months for each unit.
How does this qualification fit into your career plan?
Gaining a legal qualification forms an important part of my long-term career development. The NALP Level 4 Diploma for Associate Paralegals has strengthened my understanding of legal principles and provided practical legal knowledge that can be applied within a legal environment right now.
The material was more interesting than I expected, and I especially enjoyed learning about historical case law – such as the famous snail in the bottle! It has also strengthened my workplace-ready skills and given me the confidence to explore opportunities that I now feel eligible for.
I think the practical nature of the course material will also come in useful for hypothetical interview questions! I see it as a highly valuable qualification in its own right, providing a strong foundation for progressing within the legal profession.
