Swap paralegals 🔄
Pinsent Masons and LexisNexis have launched a “unique” new training partnership that sees the businesses temporarily swap paralegals.
The tie-up will see LexisNexis paralegals gain qualifying work experience (QWE) at Pinsents as they work towards completing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) on a part-time basis with legal education provider BARBRI.
The SQE is a new route to qualification that aims to improve accessibility to the legal profession. It includes a two-part exam (the SQE1 and the SQE2) and two years of QWE.
This differs from the previous system which only allowed those who had completed a two-year training contract to qualify, leaving wannabe solicitors, who had paralegalled for the two years or more but could not secure a TC, unable to gain their stripes.
The launch of the partnership will enable LexisNexis’ paralegals to receive practical, supervised legal training that counts towards their QWE requirements. At the same time, Pinsents paralegals will be seconded to LexisNexis in order to hone their research and knowledge skills.
Head of LexisPSL Hub, Josh Giddens, said: “The legal market is rapidly evolving and, as a leading LegalTech supplier, it is really exciting for LexisNexis to work with Pinsent Masons and BARBRI in offering new, innovative routes to qualification.”
Meanwhile, Richard Coffey, head of managed legal services delivery at Pinsent Masons, said the deal is “an exciting next step for us and our paralegals.”
The news comes in the same week the Law Training Centre launched a law course which enables students to gain QWE alongside their studies. BPP University Law School, The University of Law and Nottingham Law School offer similar opportunities through their pro bono centres.
