Wednesday, 3 June 2009
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Monday, 1 June 2009
Paralegal Courses - Paving the way
In the US today there are around 1000 paralegal schools offering paralegal degrees and other ABA approved paralegal courses. In the UK there around 500,000 people doing paralegal jobs. However, the idea of paralegals being accepted by legal establishment is still relatively new. One of the companies that paved the way for the acceptance of paralegals is the Canadian company POINTTS. POINTTS is ‘Canada’s original and the world’s biggest and most successful independent traffic ticket agency.’
One of the most numerous classes of ‘offence’ in modern any society is that of minor traffic violation. Anyone charged with a minor traffic offence requires either to admit guilt, or a challenge Police’s case in court. Most ‘offenders’ are intimidated by the thought of court protocol and procedures and consequently are put off defending themselves. At the same time the relatively low penalties involved negate the cost of employing a lawyer to provide a defence. At the same time most lawyers, by their own admission, don’t want to be employed in this relatively minor and unglamorous area of the justice system. So, ‘caught between the devil and the deep blue sea’ most people simply choose to pay the fine and take any licence penalty ‘on the chin’.
In 1985 a 15 year police veteran realised that he knew far and away more than most about traffic court protocol and procedures than most, and also in the best tradition of ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ he also new a great deal about the prosecution of traffic offences. He found himself ideally suited to operate in the defence of others in this very specific niche area of legal system, and began POINTTS to offer an economic alternative to employing a lawyer in defence of minor traffic offences in Canada.
The Law Society challenged POINTTS right to operate in this area, and after numerous challenges, POINTTS right to conduct business was finally cleared by the Canadian courts in 1987.
Now, more than 20 years later POINTTS success continues. It now has more than 30 offices across Canada with nearly 50 Paralegals providing a service to the Canadian public.
One of the most numerous classes of ‘offence’ in modern any society is that of minor traffic violation. Anyone charged with a minor traffic offence requires either to admit guilt, or a challenge Police’s case in court. Most ‘offenders’ are intimidated by the thought of court protocol and procedures and consequently are put off defending themselves. At the same time the relatively low penalties involved negate the cost of employing a lawyer to provide a defence. At the same time most lawyers, by their own admission, don’t want to be employed in this relatively minor and unglamorous area of the justice system. So, ‘caught between the devil and the deep blue sea’ most people simply choose to pay the fine and take any licence penalty ‘on the chin’.
In 1985 a 15 year police veteran realised that he knew far and away more than most about traffic court protocol and procedures than most, and also in the best tradition of ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ he also new a great deal about the prosecution of traffic offences. He found himself ideally suited to operate in the defence of others in this very specific niche area of legal system, and began POINTTS to offer an economic alternative to employing a lawyer in defence of minor traffic offences in Canada.
The Law Society challenged POINTTS right to operate in this area, and after numerous challenges, POINTTS right to conduct business was finally cleared by the Canadian courts in 1987.
Now, more than 20 years later POINTTS success continues. It now has more than 30 offices across Canada with nearly 50 Paralegals providing a service to the Canadian public.
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