Member Article

Winn Solicitors' employee pioneers national first in legal training

A legal clerk from the North East has become the first person in the country to enrol on a new ground-breaking paralegal course.

Helen Hall, who works for Winn Solicitors in Newcastle, was the first to sign up for the UK’s first Paralegal Foundation Degree. Newcastle College launched the course this month in partnership with the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) - the only paralegal body in England and Wales recognised by Ofqual as a qualifications awarding organisation. Firms like Winn Solicitors, which specialises in motor accident management services and road traffic accident claims, will have the opportunity to up-skill their staff with the assurance that their ultimate qualification has been endorsed by NALP. For Helen Hall – an art school graduate who had no formal legal sector training before she joined Winns in 2008 – the course will give her valuable knowledge and skills to boost her career progression. She said: “As a company Winns is always extremely encouraging in terms of staff looking to improve the skills needed to improve their job capabilities. “I applied for the course to gain more knowledge and to help me feel more confident in my job role. Hopefully in a few years it will put me in a better position career-wise to progress further.” Meanwhile, Amanda Hamilton, CEO of NALP, said at the launch of the new course: ’‘Many organisations, not only law firms, within commerce and industry need and benefit from employees who have a broad knowledge of law and procedure, together with an expertise applicable to their particular sector. “This Foundation Degree is the only NALP endorsed degree in the UK and will open up opportunities for the trained paralegals to work within many sectors, including financial services, banking, the retail sector, export and the media.” Paralegals play an integral role in the work of legal teams and at Winns work closely with the group’s solicitors in servicing its personal injury claims customers. The Winn Group employs 295 people at its headquarters in Byker, Newcastle, and is currently in the throes of expansion after securing a major round of investment earlier this month. The group is to go into partnership with international investment companies JZ International (JZI) and Souter Investment Group.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Winn Solicitors Ltd .