Explosion in demand for paralegals, thinktank reveals

The number of paralegals has doubled in the last decade and is set to rise further, according to a report from government-sponsored thinktank the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

The report, which explored the country’s present and future skills needs, disclosed that the number of paralegals in England has increased from 24,509 in 2001 to 51,250 today – a rise of 109%. The number of solicitors has increased by around 40% over the same period.

The report predicted that demand for paralegals will continue to grow, given the increasingly commoditised nature of much transactional work, and greater competition in the legal services market following the introduction of alternative business structures.

Paralegals will, however, need to broaden their capabilities in transactional work and increase their procurement and tendering skills to cope with market-based legal aid procurement, it added.

More broadly, the report identified a growing need in the legal services sector for business management, change management and risk management skills, and greater commercial acumen.

Skills for Justice, the sector skills council and standard-setting body for the justice sector, will now embark on a follow-up project examining workforce development needs.

Law Society president Robert Heslett commented: ‘There is no clear definition of what a paralegal is, so these figures need to be treated with caution. The delegation of elements of legal work shows that solicitors are focused on delivering a cost-effective service for their clients. That is appropriate as long as the work is properly supervised.’