The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) has today announced it will be expanding its membership levels to better recognise the breadth of qualifications and experience of its Members and the paralegal sector in general.

In response to this growth, a NALP Paralegal Technician membership level has been added for those who have passed the Level 3 qualification or completed the Level 3 Paralegal Standard Apprenticeship.

A NALP Paralegal Technician Member will be able to use the post-nominal initials “PTech.NALP” and describe themselves as a NALP Paralegal Technician.

“The range of work that paralegals undertake and the sectors they work in today have grown considerably over the last few years. In addition, many people are now undertaking paralegal apprenticeships within large companies, the public sector and legal firms. So we wanted to be sure our memberships levels reflected this.” explained NALP CEO Jane Robson.

The new addition will have a slight effect on the eligibility criteria for a NALP Associate Member which is being changed so that new applicants will require a Level 4 qualification or at least 3 years’ experience.

All current NALP Associate Members will be grandfathered in so that they can retain their current level of membership, to ensure no one misses out and can continue to benefit from being able to use their A.NALP post-nominal letters.

NALP will also be announcing, in the coming months, a new suite of qualifications to be introduced over the next three years to ensure a clear line of progression for paralegals from Level 3 to Level 7. Additional membership levels will be introduced to ensure that there is a membership category available and commensurate for each level of NALP qualification.