The field of law is a vast arena of rules and regulations but one key player; the paralegal is surprisingly exempt from one rule. Paralegals, after decades of existence are still not required to become “certified”. Clearly, it made sense backs in the 1960s when the profession first evolved out of a need for attorneys to free up their time from doing the “less lawyerly” activities like filling out documents, standard research and other office related paperwork. But you would think over the ensuing years that this would have been “corrected” but for some reason it has not. On the other hand, the marketplace has changed and more and more employers are now requiring that potential employees gain some type of certification before they will be considered for employment.
Essential yardsticks to bear in mind when looking at any paralegal program:
1. Paralegal school curriculum should focus on teaching practical job skills alongside a solid legal theory foundation. Concentration courses should revolve around topics like litigation and legal writing, legal ethics, contract and business organization. In addition to developing a usable knowledge of the law, a high quality paralegal training program will emphasize creative and critical thinking, organizational and computational skills. The overall development of the student should also be a critical objective along with some type of real world experience like an internship before graduation.
2. Who are the individuals making up the faculty and the administration of the paralegal college you are looking to attend? Does the curriculum program director have a law degree or minimally have they had solid field experience along with an advanced degree in some aspect of paralegal education? Are the instructors considered to be “experts” in their sphere of influence as a result of their field experience and educational background?
3. Are you looking for a traditional campus environment or online training? Online paralegal training is becoming increasingly popular but is an online learning environment right for you? In addition, you need to find out what type of training system will be used (i.e. interactive video or web-based, etc.) and how much interaction takes place between the teachers and you (the student). Additionally, if you’ve never taken online classes before, you need to decide if you have the motivation and discipline to do the assignments on your own.
Clearly, pursuing a paralegal career isn’t for everyone but for those that enjoy research, have solid organizational and writing skills and can work under pressure this is a wide open and growing field that can offer financial security and professional satisfaction.
