How do you become a paralegal in Ireland?

Dec 19, 2022

Written By Tom Hale

A paralegal is an interesting and exciting job within the legal industry. Ultimately, the job consists of supporting barristers and solicitors in a number of different ways. If you’re interested in becoming a paralegal and living and working in Ireland, here is a whistle stop tour of how to become a paralegal in Ireland.

The Basics

Although paralegals work side by side with barristers and lawyers within a law firm, corporation, or other organisations, they cannot offer legal advice. Thus, the training, qualifications, and understanding you will need are slightly different.

Technically speaking, as a paralegal you do not need any specific formal qualification. However, firms in Ireland and beyond look favourably on a diploma or degree specifically in one of the following:

- Law

- Accounting

- Business

- Finance

In addition to this, many firms offer or insist on further training alongside the first months of working as a paralegal. Furthermore, many junior paralegal’s choose to further their experience through distance learning via institutes such as the International Career Institute (ICI).

How to stand out

So, the good news then is that you do not need any specific formal work or qualification in order to become a paralegal in Ireland. However, with that good news comes an opportunity to stand out.

Though there are no specific requirements, a great way to stand out from the competition is to go above and beyond in expanding your knowledge and employability. This can be done through education and resulting qualifications.

Just like anything within the law industry, becoming a paralegal in Ireland (or anywhere for that matter) is highly competitive. Thus, don’t see the lack of requirements as an opportunity to not improve your employability status, instead see it as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd where others may not.

If you can’t afford or aren’t interested in further education, there are still ways to make yourself stand out. These include: getting a grant or loan via the Student Grant Scheme, completing pro bono work or other legal work experience, and networking with current paralegals.

The Logistics

Now that you know the route to becoming a paralegal in Ireland it is best to know the specifics of the role. We already know that the job can be varied in many different ways. However, the usual daily activities for a paralegal include:

- Helping solicitors to prepare for cases

- Giving judges applications

- Providing legal information for clients

- Attending court

- Preparing legal documents and filing

- Performing research as requested by solicitors

Salary

You'll probably want to know about the pay: what can you expect to be paid as a paralegal? Well, this varies depending on where you are in Ireland.

In Dublin, paralegals can expect to earn somewhere between €40,000 and €70,000. In the rest of the country, salaries are slightly less, at €35,000 to €45,000.

The Verdict

Becoming a paralegal in Ireland requires no formal experience or education. However, as with any competitive industry, any advantage you can grasp is a good idea heading into applications.

The role of paralegal is an interesting one, it pays well, and offers constantly new and exciting opportunities for anyone within the role. So get applying, but remember, think of what makes you stand out from the crowd.

Paralegal Work