Paralegal Education
Paralegal education is strangely not necessary before you can obtain a position with a legal practice, but it will certainly enhance your prospects of being one of those chosen for employment. This will apply even more if you are not from an administrative background, as you will need to demonstrate to a potential employer that you will be able to process documents and cope with some of the high level language used in the legal profession. There is also the possibility that paralegals may be licensed in the future, and this licensing will be easier to obtain if you have an existing certification.
If you are wondering whether or not to try and qualify to be a paralegal, there are several factors to take into consideration. The first is that such training will not only equip you for the role of paralegal, it will also give you the tools you need to become a legal document secretary should you choose to go down that route. Paralegal training will also give you the chance to move into a profession which is growing in size, and which is largely resistant to economic downturns and recessions. The demand for paralegal services is rising despite the poor economy.
The level of education you will need to obtain depends on your background and your objectives. If you have substantial experience in administration roles and an aptitude for the law, you may only need a short refresher course to give you a chance of obtaining work. This will not, however, give you the high level qualification which will make it so much easier for you to open the doors to a new career. To do this you need to spend two years either in college, or working with an online training system. If you have no administration background, this is really the only way to break through.
There is little difference in the process needed to obtain paralegal education and that which is needed to qualify as an attorney, except that the paralegal courses are only half as long. There is also no need to apply for licensing at the end of the course. A two year learning experience is a significant commitment of both time and money, so you need to be sure that this is something you definitely want to do. If you are young and without existing commitments you will find it much easier to apply for one of the campus places, and if not you can always study online.
The educational course which you choose should be with one of the schools accredited by the major legal overseeing bodies, which are the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). If your course is accredited, you will then be able to take your educational qualification and make it look even more impressive. You can apply for certification with these bodies, and have something of genuine value and importance to show to a prospective employer.
The doors which can be opened by paralegal education will certainly put your career on a faster track than you would be able to achieve if you applied for jobs without it, and the date may be coming when this type of formal qualification will actually be necessary. There are several states which are considering the introduction of licensing, following incidents involving paralegals giving advice to the public. If this licensing is introduced, it may be on the basis of a certificated paralegal being the only one who is eligible to work. This would give even more importance to the paper you have studied for, and it would increase the value of paralegal education.
If you are wondering whether or not to try and qualify to be a paralegal, there are several factors to take into consideration. The first is that such training will not only equip you for the role of paralegal, it will also give you the tools you need to become a legal document secretary should you choose to go down that route. Paralegal training will also give you the chance to move into a profession which is growing in size, and which is largely resistant to economic downturns and recessions. The demand for paralegal services is rising despite the poor economy.
The level of education you will need to obtain depends on your background and your objectives. If you have substantial experience in administration roles and an aptitude for the law, you may only need a short refresher course to give you a chance of obtaining work. This will not, however, give you the high level qualification which will make it so much easier for you to open the doors to a new career. To do this you need to spend two years either in college, or working with an online training system. If you have no administration background, this is really the only way to break through.
There is little difference in the process needed to obtain paralegal education and that which is needed to qualify as an attorney, except that the paralegal courses are only half as long. There is also no need to apply for licensing at the end of the course. A two year learning experience is a significant commitment of both time and money, so you need to be sure that this is something you definitely want to do. If you are young and without existing commitments you will find it much easier to apply for one of the campus places, and if not you can always study online.
The educational course which you choose should be with one of the schools accredited by the major legal overseeing bodies, which are the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). If your course is accredited, you will then be able to take your educational qualification and make it look even more impressive. You can apply for certification with these bodies, and have something of genuine value and importance to show to a prospective employer.
The doors which can be opened by paralegal education will certainly put your career on a faster track than you would be able to achieve if you applied for jobs without it, and the date may be coming when this type of formal qualification will actually be necessary. There are several states which are considering the introduction of licensing, following incidents involving paralegals giving advice to the public. If this licensing is introduced, it may be on the basis of a certificated paralegal being the only one who is eligible to work. This would give even more importance to the paper you have studied for, and it would increase the value of paralegal education.
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