Who Needs Paralegal Education?

"Employment (for paralegals) is projected to grow much faster than average , as employers try to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks formerly carried out by lawyers."

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2006-2007 Occupational Outlook Handbook.

"Read This! If You Desire An Occupation That Offers Great Recognition And Moves You Rapidly To Professional Stature"

A New Money Train Is Coming!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal assistant or paralegal profession is projected to grow by 33% during the first 10 years of 2000.

That's an above average growth rate compared with other occupations!

Now why is this happening?

Because it is more cost effective to hire paralegals to work on many legal duties, instead of hiring a lawyer.

Imagine how much money would have to spend if a lawyer performed the following tasks .

• Conduct interview with the client.

• Maintain contact with the client.

• Locate and interview witness.

• Conduct investigations.

• Work on statistical and documentary research.

• Conduct legal research.

• Draft legal documents, correspondence, and pleadings.

• Summarize depositions, interrogatories and testimony.

If a paralegal does performs these tasks, the hourly rate would be much lower than an attorney's. But paralegals still earn a good salary with the added benefit of not having to be trained as a lawyer.

However, nothing comes without a price.

Paralegal Training Is Absolutely Necessary

Please continue reading. It's too important to miss.

According to the American Bar Association (ABA), the definition of a paralegal is the following .

"A legal assistant or paralegal is a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible."

Trends indicate than most employers expect entry-level paralegals to have a 4-year Bachelor's degree. If the paralegal has further training in other fields such as medicine, or social work, the possibility of making more money is high.

There's no standard on how a paralegal should be trained. There are 3 national regulatory bodies -

• National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)

• National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)

• American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc. (AAPI)

All agree on the guidelines provided by the American Bar Association. So, there is certain conformity in the training.

Let's take NFPA for an example.

It recommends that every paralegal should complete a formal paralegal certification program. This consists of 24 semester hours in legal studies. The goal is to prepare a paralegal for the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam. If you pass the test, the status of "PACE Registered Paralegal" will be awarded. This means that your worth will be higher than those who don't take the examination.

Here are the qualifications for the examination.

• A Bachelor's degree

• Completion of an accredited paralegal training program

• At least 2-year of paralegal experience

To locate a NFPA-recognized paralegal training program, you can obtain a directory from NFPA. It costs only for a small fee.

Before you begin, you need to know what kind of organization you intend to work with. That's because no paralegal training program is equal.

How To Pick Up A Paralegal Program

Do these things.

• Ask the law firms you are considering working for about their paralegal hiring practices

• Check whether the companies require a paralegal certificate or degree

• Browse the online directories, search for law firms, and ask for hiring requirements

• Call the lawyers listed in Martindale Hubbell to find out what they need from paralegals

Generally speaking, the level of training you need depends upon your goal. If you wish to have a better chance to get into law school, you won't need additional paralegal training. If you want to excel in paralegal career, then additional training will benefit most.

Bonus Tips!

• Always choose a program that is approved by the ABA

• The training institution should be a member of the AAfPE

• It should also be a member of one of the 3 regulatory bodies for paralegal studies

The Most Common Programs

Associate Degree Program

You can find this being offered by 2-year community colleges, 4-year colleges, universities, and some business schools.

A student will earn this degree if he or she completes 60 to 70 semester units. Usually half of the curriculum is related to paralegal studies and the other is about general education.

If you intend to earn a 4-year degree at another college, you should investigate the transferability of the certification.

Bachelor's Degree Program

The 4-year colleges and universities offer this type of program. Usually a student will have to go through a paralegal study major, minor, or concentration within a major. Such program usually has 120 to 130 semester units. And out of these, 30 to 60 semester units consist of paralegal studies and related courses.

Certificate Program

Certain educational institutions offer a paralegal certificate program. It only consists of 18 to 60 semester units. The longer program has similar curriculum as the associate degree program has.

A certificate program is usually designed for people who already have an associate or Bachelor's degree.

Masters Degree Program

This is an advanced degree in paralegal studies. Such programs usually touches law-related areas such as legal administration and legal studies.

Last but not the least

You can always find out the curriculum of a program from the Internet. Then you're able to pick one that is suitable for your career. It never hurts to ask!