Paralegal – Common Sense Strategies on Finding the Right School
A long, long time ago (actually, about 50 years) attorneys and lawyers started hiring assistants to help them with the less legal general duties like filling out documents, certain research and legwork which would free them up to spend their time on the more legal duties.
Vital aspects to remember when breaking down a paralegal program:
1. Paralegal programs should not only teach legal concepts but they should also provide practical real world job skills. In addition, any reputable paralegal school curriculum would encompass everything from legal contacts and legal writing to ethics and torts. Top notch Paralegal programs should also offer the opportunity for students to gain work experience through practicum or an internship.
2. Who are the individuals making up the faculty and the administration of the paralegal school 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. Distance learning, also called online learning is becoming all the rage but is getting your paralegal degree or paralegal certificate from an online paralegal school right for you? Online learning is clearly different than traditional campus based learning but regardless of how the information is delivered (i.e. interactive video, tele-courses, etc.) the student / teacher interaction isn’t the same. Plus, online learning takes more self-discipline and motivation than campus learning and you have to make the determination that you have what it takes to complete the assignments.
Unquestionably, exploring a paralegal career isn’t for every Tom, Dick or Harry or Sally or Susie for that matter but for those individuals that yearn to dip their toe into the field of law, and still enjoy the status and professional satisfaction of a law career without having to attend law school for 4 years, then becoming a paralegal is your ticket.
