How To Become A Paralegal
If you are wondering how to become a paralegal you are in good company. The Department of Labor continually lists the paralegal career as a popular career choice. The reasons are quite simply the attraction of money and status. There is something fascinating about working with the Law. Hollywood makes films about it and TV programs about attorneys gain high ratings. But you rarely see the real work a legal assistant does in these movies.
Most legal cases are decided on the work that happens prior to the case coming before the court. As a paralegal you will be heavily involved in this preparation. Although you are not allowed have your own clients or make physical appearances in court, this doesn’t stop you preparing all the research and documents required to win the case for the clients your firm represents.
What other paralegal requirements do I need to meet?
Although you cannot make representations to the court, a paralegal is a skilled legal professional. They require similar skills to those needed by an attorney. For example good communications skills are vital. You will have to interview witnesses and/or clients, prepare legal documentation, conduct research and read and interpret case law. An ability to reason and understand complex matters is required.
Becoming a paralegal doesn’t just mean you have to have a good education. You need to be reliable and thorough. You also need to be trustworthy and discrete. No matter what type of client you are involved with; you will enjoy a position of trust and have a duty of care to the clients of your firm. You have to have perseverance and a real life attitude. It is only in the movies that the bad guys go to jail while the good guys get off. In real life, all types of things can happen. You could make a mistake which has adverse consequences for your firm’s client. The client could be found guilty when he is innocent or innocent when in fact he is guilty. You need to be able to pick yourself up and move onto the next case. This isn’t personal but is simply the way the Law works.
You need to be good at communication both verbally and in writing. While you cannot represent clients, you may find that you spend most of your time interviewing clients and presenting your recommendations to the attorney you work for. You need to be able to communicate at all sorts of levels. The ordinary man on the street won’t understand much of the legal process and language so you will have to translate where appropriate. But you will have to be able to draft documents in legal language suitable for the venue in which it is to be heard.
You need to be good at research – a lot of cases are decided using case law and the victorious party is usually the one that can find the best legal arguments to prove their point.
Are Paralegal courses online any good?
Most paralegals learn the profession through a combination of academic education and on the job training. Most employers would expect the paralegals they hire to have completed at least some form of formal legal assistant training. In the employer’s eyes, this means that they have to do less training.
There are three main levels of paralegal training:
1. Paralegal Schools are online and offline.
You can do an online paralegal certificate or perhaps find a course at a local college. If you already have an associate or bachelor’s degree or have years of experience working as a legal assistant or secretary, a paralegal certification course is probably sufficient at least to start. Since you will gain most of your experience via on the job training, the paralegal schools online will concentrate on the practical skills you need. You will get a foundation in legal research, legal ethics, terminology, process and legal documentation. You can complete some online paralegal programs in as little as six months. The speed at which you complete your studies will depend on your current education, experience and how much time you have to study. The benefit of using online paralegal certificate programs is the fact that you can study at your own pace and this can be done while working full time.
2. Associate degree programs
You don’t need an associate degree to work as a paralegal but if competition for jobs is tough in your area you may find that it opens a few more doors. It is especially useful for those that don’t have experience in the legal field as well as those who have yet to pass any degree program.
In addition to the work that you would learn on an online paralegal certificate program you will build up sufficient credits to gain your associate degree. This usually takes at least two years.
3. Paralegal degrees
Some people will suggest you take bachelors paralegal degree. Online or offline, this level of education isn’t required to work as a paralegal and will mean that you start your career later perhaps carrying more education related debt than you need to. Contrary to some websites you will read you do not need a criminal justice degree to work as a paralegal. But if you really want to go to college and are interested in the law but don’t know whether you want to become an attorney then this may be the time to take a four year degree program that includes at least 30 credit hours specifically related to paralegal courses.
Paralegal education summary
It may seem a little daunting trying to decide on the type of paralegal education you require. You should have a look at some of the companies that you would like to work in and see what level of education they specifically ask for in their job advertisements. The right level of education will be based on your skills, experience, location i.e. some regions have more competition than others and also your earning potential. If you see yourself working for one of the bigger law firms, you will probably want to complete a higher level of paralegal programs than that required to work in an attorney’s office in a local town. Practice your researching skills by checking out what prospective employers are asking for.
