Attend Paralegal Classes And Obtain Your Certification

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Education )



A paralegal is employed to help a lawyer in providing legal services to a number of people. Also known as a legal assistant, a paralegal’s job involves legal research, preparing pleadings and motions that are to be submitted in court. A paralegal may also be tasked to draft legal arguments, interview witnesses/clients and provide assistance to a lawyer in trials. The acquisition of affidavits and acting as an attorney’s liaison may also be included in a paralegal’s job specification.

Many people are not aware of the fact that paralegals can only be educated to become a certified paralegal. They do not have the opportunity to become licensed paralegals, because this option simply does not exist.

You can attend paralegal classes in an actual paralegal school, choose to take an online course, or enroll in a correspondence course. Regardless of the option you choose, there are a number of programs to choose from for you to become a certified paralegal.

Attending paralegal classes can help you obtain to an associate’s degree, which can take you a couple of years to complete; however, in order to increase your earning potential and have better chances at getting job promotions, it is better for you to attend additional paralegal classes that will lead to a bachelor’s or master’s degree. A master’s or bachelor’s degree will however take much more time to complete.

Aside from attending paralegal classes, a professional paralegal must meet certain qualifications in order to be allowed to work in a law office with a lawyer. A paralegal must undergo an exam with the local association of legal assistants, have a number of work study hours and a certain number of years spent as an in-house trainee in an attorney’s office.

A law office is not the only place that you can be employed after you obtain your certification. You can also work in a legal department of a big corporation or in a government agency.

The need for paralegals has been increasing at an alarming rate, and is still expected to rise in the years to come.


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