Paralegal Certification
The majority of those working as legal assistants will have taken a two year associate’s degree in paralegal studies. Some will have less formal education but more on the job training. For example those previously working as legal secretaries may have completed an online paralegal certification program. Some may hold a bachelor’s degree in a different, perhaps related, subject area but will have completed their certificate in paralegal studies. Some employers like their paralegals to be trained on the job so that they can pick up the specific working ways of the practice.
What are the benefits of gaining your paralegal certificate?
The benefit of studying for an associate’s and online paralegal degree programs is the fact that you can combine paralegal training with other subjects. There is a huge difference in the quality of paralegal certificate programs available. The more intensive legal assistant programs are designed for those who already have a college degree.
There are plenty of paralegal courses to choose from with more than 1000 offering formal paralegal training programs online or offline. But not all are approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). This may not be an issue but some employers prefer you to have graduated from an ABA accredited course. You need to check the admission requirements for each course as they can differ from school to school. For example, some prefer you to have a bachelor’s degree but others will take those with work experience in the legal field or in some cases high school graduates. In addition to formal education requirements, some will require you to attend an interview and perhaps sit additional tests before your application to that school will be accepted.
Would a criminal justice degree help?
Some employers want to promote from within. They will have a policy of promoting their existing staff and will send experience legal secretaries on paralegal certification programs. Some legal firms want those with experience in a technical field. Criminal justice degrees can be very useful as can a background in an accountancy related field such as tax preparation. It all depends on the specializations of the individual firms. For those wanting to work as paralegals in the personal injury field, a medical background such as nursing or medical assistant can prove very useful.
Why bother with a Paralegal certification when it is not mandatory?
In a competitive job market, it is always worthwhile obtaining your formal paralegal certification. This doesn’t mean you have to attend one of the top paralegal schools but simply obtain your paralegal certificate from one of the many online schools or your local college. Other organizations offer voluntary paralegal certifications by meeting certain criteria such as experience and education. It is also worth remembering that some states in particular California have more formal requirements for paralegals to adhere to.
Do I need my paralegal certificate?
Some supervising attorneys will require you to hold a qualification as proof of your knowledge. As they are responsible for decisions made based on the findings and opinions you document to them, they are entitled to want you to become properly certified. A paralegal certification helps you to understand legal terminology. It also helps to develop your investigative and research skills that are so important to this particular career. It helps if a paralegal is familiar with computers specifically the ability to help in legal research and litigation support.
The legal field is constantly changing with new case law being developed all the time not to mention new statutes being passed. Certification also helps you to stay in touch with recent happenings in your particular field. Usually the certifying body such as the NALA will hold regular meetings for their members where changes and developments will be discussed. As you are required to complete so many hours of formal continuing education why not attend as many educational seminars as you can to help you expand your knowledge in your chosen specialization.
In addition to educational requirements, most certifying bodies also have an ethics code of practice that you are required to follow.
