Become a Member
Become A Recognised Professional Of The Paralegal Profession
Membership options for everyone
Show employers and clients just how good you are
Inspire confidence and stand out from the crowd with IoP membership. As a member of IoP you demonstrate a commitment to exceptionally high standards and ethics.
Join us and you can benefit from a comprehensive range of benefits designed to develop you into a more effective, confident Paralegal, capable of making a greater impact within your organisation.
membership grades designed to suit your needs
Student
Professional
Corporate
Students
Just starting out, changing careers or wanting to learn more about law? Combining IOP membership with a qualification in law will speak volumes for your commitment towards good practice. It will enable you to really stand out while ensuring you remain relevant and more employable.
Professional
The Institute’s membership grades are designed to give your clients, other legal practitioners and the judiciary an indication of how experienced you are as a legal professional. Therefore our membership grades are based upon how much legal practice experience (LPE) and what legal qualifications you have.
Corporate
If your organisation wishes to join the Institute (as opposed to individuals within your organisation taking out individual membership) then you should apply for corporate membership.
Corporate membership is not based upon legal practice experience. It is sufficient that you offer legal services or provide ancillary legal services (e.g. legal recruitment, training, publishing, etc.).
Corporate Brochure
Corporate Brochure
Career advice whenever you need it, benefits to enhance your professional reputation, qualifications that show consumers you are dedicated to the profession – that’s what IoP is all about.
More and more paralegals like you are turning to IoP for membership that will help them prove consumers, stakeholders and other professionals alike that they mean business.
As a member of the IoP, besides professional registration with the national leading membership body for paralegals, you will benefit from a comprehensive range of membership benefits created with professional and personal needs in mind.
Membership pays for itself many times over, in monetary form by accessing the IoP Perks benefits, but most importantly in your professional career by helping you develop in to a better and more professional paralegal.
Get better informed – whatever legal challenge you face, our special interest groups, the UK and Ireland largest Paralegal Forum on LinkedIn, a monthly e-newsletter and daily legal updates powered by Lexology might have the solution for you.
To help you get on top of your continued professional development, we are also in the process of launching a virtual learning platform with qualifications for paralegals and live or on demand webinars – watch out for this space.
Discover how much money you can save by using IoP Perks. IoP Perks has been put together with the goal of saving you time and money. Whether at work or leisure, we have negotiated exclusive terms with selected suppliers of quality products and services.
Enhance your professional reputation by joining us; regardless of the grade of membership you will be awarded, with the exeption of Affiliate Member, you will have the right to use a professional designation, you will receive a digital membership certificate and a smart badge.
Student - Is open to anyone currently studying at a university or other higher education institute that are Academic Partners with the IoP. Combining IoP membership with a qualification in law will speak volumes for your commitment towards good practice.
Affiliate - Is for new and aspiring paralegals who do not yet have a legal qualification or no work experience, or for anyone who has an interest in a career in law.
Associate Paralegal (A.Inst.Pa) - Requires a level 3 qualification and/or has a minimum of one year’s legal practice experience.
Qualified Paralegal (Q.Inst.Pa)- Requires a Level 6 qualification (Degree Level) AND has a minimum of 2 years legal practice experience (or experiential route).
Graduate Paralegal (Grad.Inst.) - requires completion of a level 6 specialist paralegal qualification from CLT and no experience.
Fellow of the IOP (F.Inst.Pa) - Requires a Level 6 qualification or above(Degree Level) AND has a minimum of 4 years legal practice experience (or experiential route)
Student membership
Unlock your career potential.
Just starting out, changing careers or wanting to learn more about law? Combining IOP membership with a qualification in law will speak volumes for your commitment towards good practice. It will enable you to really stand out while ensuring you remain relevant and more employable.
Student (affiliate) membership is for you if you:
- Are currently studying or about to study law
- Need immediate access to IOP resources and support for your studies
- Want to progress to professional membership at the end of your studies.
Professional membership
Raise your profile and credibility with professional recognition.
Achieving professional membership of the IOP demonstrates to employers, clients and peers that you meet the rigorous requirements and professional standards for good practice.
Becoming a professional member of the IOP will:
- Enhance your career prospects and earning potential.
- Show your commitment to high standards and ethical compliance.
- Give you access to a growing and vibrant community of law professionals and professional development tools.
- Routes into professional membership
Choosing the right level of membership depends on where you are in your career and whether or
not you wish to study a qualification.
Which level of membership do you aspire to?
Associate Paralegal
What we are looking for?
To achieve Associate membership, you will need a level 3 qualification and/or a minimum of one year legal practice experience in a role which is hands-on.
If you have at least one year legal practice experience, then you are typically...
- A competent legal practitioner
- Provide advice on law on a regular basis
- Responsible for your own work, and working collaboratively with a range of people across your organisation.
- Able to demonstrate full knowledge with experience and application
Qualified Paralegal
Set yourself apart from the competition
What we are looking for?
To achieve Qualified membership, you will need a Level 6 qualification (Degree Level) and a minimum of 2 years legal practice experience, working consistently at this level.
If you have a level 6 Degree and at least two years’ legal practice experience, then you are typically…
- An accomplished legal practitioner
- Responsible for your own work and you help other colleagues less experienced
- Able to demonstrate an advanced degree of knowledge and consistent application
- Deepening your knowledge
Fellow member
Be a role model for the profession. Fellow status recognises a select group of senior law professionals.
What we’re looking for?
To achieve Fellow status, you will need a Level 6 qualification or above (Degree Level) AND a minimum of 4 years’ legal practice experience, working consistently at a senior level.
If you have a level 6 Degree and at least four years’ legal practice experience, then you are typically…
- An expert legal practitioner
- Have gained the highest level of knowledge and experience
Corporate member
Raise your Corporate Profile and receive Corporate Recognition.
Applying to be a corporate member
If your organisation wishes to join the Institute (as opposed to individuals within your organisation taking out individual membership) then you should apply for corporate membership. Corporate membership is not based upon legal practice experience. It is sufficient that you offer legal services or provide ancillary legal services (e.g. legal recruitment, training, publishing, etc.).
We can tailor a package to your business needs, please download our Corporate Brochure and contact the Membership Team on +44 (0) 20 3011 2610 or [email protected] to discuss your requirements.
Apply online now
- Submission and confirmation of receipt does not imply acceptance of your application. You will only be a corporate member of the Institute when we have approved your application and you have paid the registration fee and the first year's annual fee.
- Corporate membership does not give any right to use our professional designations (e.g. Associate Paralegal / A.Inst.Pa). No individual staff are members, unless they have made a separate application. Institute logo use is with permission only.
- Claims of Institute membership/any approved logo use can only continue so long as you remain a member of the Institute.
The IoP assists the unregulated legal sector, the paralegal profession specifically, with its development.
To that end we issue competency standards and guidance on professional conduct; we provide careers advice to unregulated practitioners and those seeking to begin an “alternative” career in the law; we offer legal training ourselves and we encourage the development of a broader range of legal training than currently exists; and we advise those wishing to set up an unregulated law firm.
We also offer a wide range of professional and lifestyle benefits to our members, designed to serve your needs and we are constantly working with our providers to improve them.
Determined to become a professional paralegal?
Join us today and you can benefit from a wide range of products and services designed to serve your
needs.
*Please note, if you are already a member, you will need to login to view and update your account details, to access your benefits and to renew or upgrade your membership.
Want to come back to IoP membership?
If you were previously an IoP member, and you want to come back into membership then please use the re-join us button below. You will re-join as the same grade of member as you were previously. There is a £20 administration charge for reactivating your account.
Join our growing and vibrant community
In order to join the IoP, you will need to complete our online application form. This process takes between 15-20 minutes and you will need the following to hand to complete your application:
- Credit/debit card or bank account details
- Soft copies of any documents that you have relied your application upon (you will need to upload these together with your application). Suitable documents might be the following: testimonials from clients, reference letters from clients and/or employer, evidence of all qualifications with a legal element, a copy of your CV and any documentation you consider fit.
* Please note that WE ARE UNABLE NOT START PROCESSING YOUR APPLICATION UNTIL WE HAVE RECEIVED ALL THE ABOVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS and full payment of the registration and membership fee.
