PPR Sponsor 2020 British Wills and Probate Awards.

The Professional Paralegal Register are proud to be sponsoring Young Practitioner of the Year in the 2020 British Wills and Probate Awards.

The overriding purpose of the awards is to recognize the achievements of individuals and companies within our industry, whilst celebrating those who pick up a trophy on the virtual podium.

The awards ceremony, which takes place on Thursday 22 October at 3.30pm will recognize individuals and firms deserving of recognition in the toughest of years. As well as highlighting some of the remarkable changes that may have been accelerated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We can also promise some memorable stories told through entrants submissions.

Ever popular ex-Royal correspondent Jennie Bond will be adding that little bit of extra sparkle as she returns to host the awards for the third year.

Registrations for the event are now open. Click here to gain VIP access and the best seats in the house for the prestigious awards ceremony.

Tell Us About Your Life in the Law

The PPR is pleased to support the launch of LawCare’s ground-breaking research study into the lives of legal professionals.

The study is to find out how legal practice and workplace culture affect wellbeing. Anyone working in the legal industry, including paralegals and support staff, can complete the online questionnaire across the UK, Ireland, UK, ROI, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

The results will form the basis of an academic paper and will be announced next year.  The data will help LawCare to improve the support available to legal professionals and drive long lasting change in legal workplaces so that people working in the law can thrive.

To take part in the survey visit www.Lifeinthelaw.org.uk

If you are finding things difficult and need to talk, LawCare can help. We provide emotional support to all legal professionals and support staff. You can call our confidential helpline on 0800 279 6888, email us at [email protected]  or access webchat and resources at www.lawcare.org.uk  

Sir Robin Knowles, CBE awarded with PPR Outstanding Achievement Award 2020

The Professional Paralegal Register is delighted to announce that the PPR Outstanding Achievement Award was given to Sir Robin Knowles, CBE at the National Paralegal Awards virtual ceremony on Friday 18 September.  The award was given in recognition of Sir Robin’s life- long commitment to the legal profession, continuing work on access to justice for those without means and promoting a diverse legal sector where the Paralegal Profession plays an important role.

Sir Robin was involved in rewriting the Commercial Court Guide as part of the Woolf Reforms. He was a member of the Aikens working party on “supercases”. With Sir William Blair, he worked successfully to secure the new Queen’s Counsel system. With others, he led work to bring about the Rolls Building – the world’s largest dedicated business dispute resolution centre.

Commenting at the virtual award ceremony: 

“Paralegals comprise of one of the second largest sectors of the legal profession and paralegals providing legal services have a collective effort to improve access to justice.   Paralegals should seize the opportunity to come together to act within the public interest and commit to providing services pro bono”.  Sir Robin said that if just 10% of paralegals contributed personally, collectively and collaboratively it would be the greatest single step forward for access to justice in a decade. 

Sir Robin Knowles laid down the gauntlet to the PPR and called upon paralegals to task Rita Leat, Managing Director of the PPR and Chief Executive of the Institute of Paralegals to present to the Civil Justice Council forum in December what the Paralegal sector pledge to do pro bono to give those without means access to justice. 

Over 500 tuned in to the awards ceremony.  To watch a playback of the virtual event visit https://youtu.be/tvGchIOFqbY 

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Notes to editors 

The Professional Paralegal Register

The Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) is a voluntary registered scheme to promote professional paralegals as a recognised fourth arm of the legal profession and to enhance consumer choice and protection.  Only Paralegals that are on this register are regulated by PPR.

Employers and consumers can be assured that those individuals on the register meet the required standards of both the individual’s recognised membership body and the robust criteria set by the PPR. 

Paralegals who are on the Register are regulated in terms of their professional conduct however, Professional Paralegals who hold a Paralegal Practising Certificate (PPC) are fully regulated to offer legal services to consumers.

For further comment, please contact:

Rita Leat, Managing Director, The Professional Paralegal Register 
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0203 039 3710 

National Paralegal Awards 2020 winners celebrate with virtual ceremony

The very best of the paralegal profession was celebrated at the annual National Paralegal Awards hosted live by the Professional Paralegal Register on Friday night. The awards ceremony, which is now in its second year, is now one of the showpiece events in the legal sector calendar, highlighting the important role paralegals play within the legal profession.

The paralegal community from across the country came together at the event, which this year was held virtually, to mark the outstanding achievements of both paralegals and firms that support the sector.

The winners from the 17 categories were announced and a PPR Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Sir Robin Knowles CBE for a life-long commitment to the legal profession and access to justice for every citizen.

Rita Leat, Managing Director of the PPR commented:

“We are hugely humbled by the talent shown by our finalists and winners as the paralegal profession in the UK is one to be very proud of.   We are delighted with the support we received with over 500 people tuning in to watch the event “.

The award winners in full:

Best Family Law Paralegal – Dawn Gore – Trethowans LLP           

Best Employment / HR Paralegal – Morgan Sheldon

Best Patent Paralegal – JoAnna Emery – Pure Ideas

Best Arbitration and Mediation Paralegal – Beth Jameson – Gafta             

Best Conveyancing Paralegal – Emily Miller – Thomas Legal

Best Civil Litigation Paralegal – Philip Nam – White Collar Legal       

Best Probate Research Paralegal – Lauren Geary – Treethorpe 

Best Trade Mark Paralegal – Rachel Bowerman – Lane IP

Best Will Writing Paralegal  – Sharon Baker – Mowll & Mowll                        

Paralegal Business of the Year – Fraser and Fraser      

Will Writing Organisation of the Year – Heritage Wills

Paralegal Recruitment Organisation of the Year – The Stephen James Partnership      

Best Law Firm Paralegal Development -Dentons UK and Middle East            

Paralegal of the Year – Midlands/North – Michelle Blackwell – Bevan Brittan LLP      

Paralegal of the Year – South  – Neil Fraser, Fraser and Fraser

Paralegal of the Year – UK – Neil Fraser, Fraser and Fraser

The judges also awarded highly commended to:

Best Arbitration and Mediation Paralegal – Clive Lewis OBE DL – Globis Mediation Group

Best Conveyancing Paralegal – Aimee Haden – Bevan Brittan LLP  

Best Civil Litigation Paralegal – Helen Laycock – PM Law       

Best Probate Research Paralegal – Matthew Boardman – Anglia Research Services                                            

Best Law Firm Paralegal Development – Addleshaw Goddard

Paralegal of the Year – Midlands/North – Aimee Haden, Bevan Brittan LLP   

Paralegal of the Year – South – Ashleah Skinner                          

Dawn Gore – Trethowans LLP                           

Paige Gouldthorpe – Cozens-Hardy LLP

Sharon Baker – Mowll & Mowll

To watch a playback of the virtual event visit https://youtu.be/tvGchIOFqbY

Thank you to our sponsors and judges for their support to the awards.

To keep updated on the work of the Professional Paralegal Register, Paralegal Conference 2021 and when we will be open for entries for the NPA 2021, please sign up to receive our emails.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0203 039 3710 or [email protected]

National Paralegal Awards 2020 Ceremony Goes Virtual

The Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) is counting down to the National Paralegal Awards taking place on Friday 18 September.  The PPR normally welcomes over 270 guests at a venue in central London in March for its annual ceremony but this year was forced to postpone it because of the coronavirus outbreak.  A decision was taken by the team at PPR to run the event virtually to reveal the many talented winners across multiple categories.

With over 400 expected to attend, this year’s finalists, along with their colleagues, friends, and family will now be tuning in from offices and homes around the UK to enjoy the free-to-watch-virtual ceremony, when the winners will be revealed for categories: 

  • Best Conveyancing Paralegal
  • Best Trade Mark Paralegal
  • Best Patent Paralegal
  • Best Arbitration/Mediation Paralegal
  • Best Employment/HR Paralegal
  • Best Probate Research Paralegal
  • Best Will Writing Paralegal 
  • Best Family Law Paralegal
  • Best Civil Litigation Paralegal
  • Paralegal Business of the Year
  • Will Writing Organisation of the Year  
  • Best Law Firm – Paralegal Development
  • Paralegal Recruitment Organisation of the Year 
  • Paralegal of the Year (Midlands/North)
  • Paralegal of the Year (South)
  • Paralegal of the Year 
  • PPR Outstanding Achievement Award 

This year’s headline sponsor is international genealogists and probate researchers, Fraser and Fraser, who were awarded ‘Paralegal Business of the Year 2019’.

Rita Leat, Managing Director of the PPR commented:

“While the ceremony will be different from usual, we are embracing the spirit of change and relishing the opportunity to shine a positive spotlight on the paralegal community at this difficult time.  I very much hope people will enjoy tuning into the programme we have planned on the night”

The live event will take place from 7pm with the opportunity for finalists, sponsors, judges, and their guests to network via a chat facility from 6:30pm.   We wish good luck to all the finalists that have made this year’s shortlist and look forward to welcoming you to a night of celebration”.

For the second year, the events charity partner will support Young Citizens, who work to help young people become active, engaged and motivated citizens, who are able to contribute positively to their communities. 

A recording of the live event will be made available on the National Paralegal Awards website for public viewing in the coming weeks. 

For further information including our finalists, sponsors and judges visit www.nationalparalegalawards.com

– END –

For further comment, please contact:

Rita Leat, Managing Director, The Professional Paralegal Register 
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0203 039 3710 

The Institute of Paralegals (IoP) launch new charter to improve diversity and inclusion for the paralegal profession.

The Institute of Paralegals has released a new strategy for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession.

The charter outlines why change is needed and the approach that needs to be taken by the Institute, its members and partners, to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds are not only recruited into the sector but retained and progressed too.

The Paralegal sector is the most diverse sector providing legal services and the IoP is proud to support the development of paralegals to improve diversity of opportunity to enter the legal services market.

A new Diversity and Inclusion panel is being formed by the IoP.  It will advise, evaluate and monitor progress on this agenda.

For more information and to sign the Charter please click here

Rita Leat Chief Exec of the Institute of Paralegals commented:

“We are very proud to launch the first ever Diversity and Inclusion Charter for the paralegal profession. It is vitally important that our sector feeds into the work that is being carried out by wider legal sector, to ensure that we can learn, share and improve diversity and inclusion in all that we do. We hope that solicitors firms and other employers of paralegals embrace the charter and sign up to show commitment to diverse legal services market’”.

Review of Legal Services Regulation - Thoughts for the unregulated

In May, this year the Ministry of Justice confirmed that it was not intending to change the structure of legal services regulation. Justice minister Alex Chalk MP said in a parliamentary paper there were ‘no plans’ to review the framework which is built around the Legal Services Act 2007. This statement was made in spite of the fact that Professor Stephen Mason, UCL, had yet to publish the final report on The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation. After almost two years of research, three working papers and numerous consultations, it would appear that the MoJ had jumped the gun. Indeed, the interim report, published in September last year, indicated quite strongly that the regulatory landscape was not fit for purpose and needed a major overhaul. The Legal Services Act was not intended for today’s innovation within the legal sector and leaves little room to enable new technology to be taken under the regulatory wing. Statutory restrictions have prevented the regulatory framework to adapt to a more diverse legal service provision. The final report that was published in June this year and sets out a series of proposals, which could provide both short term and long- term reform. Currently we are in a state of ‘all’ or ‘nothing’, with some legal service providers being left out in the cold, whilst others suffer the burden of ‘Title Based’ regulation opposed to ‘Activity Based’ regulation, that it can be argued to be eminently more sensible. The key points for the unregulated providers to take note, is that reform is inevitable, and there is a new call to bring the unregulated into the framework in the short-term. If the framework is developed in relation to ‘activities’ then willwriters and paralegals should think very carefully about being left out, if they do not adjust to new criteria that will undoubtedly be forthcoming in relation to (a) categorising the risk of certain activities (will writing has already been muted to ‘high risk’) and (b) ensuring that providers of ‘activites’, meet the new standards of competency whatever they may be. The report does however highlight and more importantly recognise that there is an independent voluntary regulator, the Professional Paralegal Register (PPR), who acts as a regulator for all those offering legal services outside the regulated professions. The way forward for the unregulated sector is to provide a united front and organisations who are interested in protecting the unregulated sector are advised to contact the PPR. To find out more about the Professional Paralegal Register visit www.ppr.org.uk

PPR’s response to the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation Report

Professional Paralegal Register’s response to the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation Report.

The centre for Ethics and Law, University College London, have published the final report on the review of legal services regulation, undertaken by Professor Stephen Mason. The review entitled, ‘Reforming Legal Services – Regulation Beyond The Echo Chambers’ has been welcomed by the Professional Paralegal Register (PPR).

The PPR’s Managing Director, Rita Leat agrees with Professor Mason on the need to further separate the roles of representation and regulation from organisations that purport to ‘self-regulate’, which is insult on both their members and consumers common-sense that it is not possible to regulate yourself.

Regulatory independence as offered by the PPR for all those working in the unregulated sector is readily available to those who seek to promote the professional offering of legal services.

Activity-based as opposed to title-based regulation has been championed by the PPR for many years, consumers need to know that their legal service provider is competent, not that they have gained a certain job title. The Paralegal sector is evidence to this, with the most diverse set of job titles.

The PPR rejects the protectionist attitudes of some regulators and applauds this report for putting consumers at its heart.

The PPR agree the urgent need to regulate technology in the legal services arena to enable consumers to access legal services in an affordable and transparent way.

The PPR is ready to increase its position as the regulator for current unauthorised providers and offers its services to support the regulatory framework in England and Wales. A detailed analysis is underway and a further insight to the report will be published by the PPR in due course.

The PPR looks forward to continuing to work with Professor Mason, the Legal Services Board, the Legal Ombudsman, and government to assist with the development and adoption of regulatory change that will benefit the sector and consumers.

Virtual Networking and CPD event for Conveyancing Paralegals

Central Law Training is delighted to be joined by Lorraine Richardson for an online networking and CPD event for conveyancing paralegals in England and Wales.

Date: Wednesday 17 June 2020

Time: 6pm to 7:30pm

This event is free to those on the Professional Paralegal Register, members of the Institute of Paralegals and to CLT paralegal students and alumni

What we will cover
Lorraine will discuss some of the challenges facing property paralegals and support staff at this difficult time including:

  • What if your client has exchanged but cannot complete due to Covid-19?
  • What if the completion date is missed?

If you want Lorraine to answer a question, do send it to us in advance. You will have the chance to ask Lorraine questions during the event.

TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE CLICK HERE

About Lorraine
Lorraine is an experienced property solicitor and trainer who is a popular conference and CPD speaker. Lorraine is now freelance but when in practice she ran a branch office and was a partner and the COLP for her firm.

She also designs and delivers property and legal skills related courses and online materials including Conveyancing Quality Scheme training for the Law Society of England and Wales.

Lorraine has developed a skill for writing and delivering webinars and aims to produce work that is both interesting and accessible for the viewer. Lorraine is the major writer for the monthly update journal for practitioners, the ‘Practical Lawyer.’

Testimonial
“Guru offering practical, intelligent guide to conveyancing challenges – comprehensive, comprehensible and GAGS … highly recommended … “
James Pirrie (Director, Family Law in Partnership Ltd & former Board member Resolution)

Professional Paralegal Register appoints new board member to join the Register’s Regulatory Committee

PRESS RELEASE

The Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) announces that the Board has appointed a new board member Stephen Rippingale-Peters to join the Register’s Regulatory Committee (RRC).

Stephen joins the RRC with over 28 years of experience working in the legal sector and is a professional Paralegal who runs his own businesses specialising in complex investigation on a variety of subject matters both in the UK and overseas. He was the first investigator in a scheme to assist victims of fraud, being piloted by the Home Office and Police, and was engaged over an extended period in the identification of personal assets of a Director following the collapse of a major listed company. Most recently Stephen was responsible for compliance planning and strategy in his role as COFA at a Law Firm.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Paralegals and is Registered in Tier 4 on the Professional Paralegal Register.

On his appointment Stephen said “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Board of the RRC and I look forward to contributing to the important work of the Board in promoting professional paralegals and building trust and consumer confidence in line with the aims of the Professional Paralegal Register”.

Amanda Lee, Chair of the RRC, commented:
“I am delighted to welcome Stephen to the RRC. His knowledge and experience will allow him to make a valuable contribution from the outset. I look forward to working with him as we continue to uphold the high standards set by the PPR to protect consumers.”

The focus of the RRC is to ensure that as the voluntary register and regulator for Paralegals the PPR operates within good practice principles, ensuring a robust framework of proportionate regulation to maintain the high standards that Paralegals must abide by. The RRC comprises of a non-executive Chair and board members who hear complaints and appeals of paralegals on the register.

Contact

Rita Leat, Managing Director +44 (0) 1442 253183

Abby Dennis, Head of Memberships & Events +44 (0) 7511 306379

Notes for Editor

The Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) was developed in direct response to the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) that recommended a body should come forward to regulate paralegals who are working outside of the regulated sector.

The PPR is the independent voluntary register and regulator for Paralegals in England and Wales.

The PPR has two aims, to provide greater consumer choice and protection and to recognise professionals Paralegals as the fourth arm of the legal profession.

The PPR is a voluntary scheme for Paralegals who do not work in solicitors’ firms and is not governed by the legal services regulator, The Legal Services Board.

The PPR defines Paralegals into four tiers so that Paralegals can be clearly identified and valued for the professionals that they are.

Paralegals on the register must be a member of one of the PPR’s recognised bodies.

The PPR’s Register Regulatory Committee (RRC) can hear complaints relating to conduct only in respect of Registered Paralegals.

Professional Paralegal Practitioners who hold a Paralegal Practising Certificate (PPC) are fully regulated for their conduct and services and clients can utilise a compensation fund when things go wrong.

For further information visit www.ppr.org.uk