Despite the shifting roles of the jobs, employers would prefer to hire paralegals that come from accredited paralegal schools, because employers believe that in hiring paralegals that come from accredited paralegal schools will have formal training and higher education when it comes in paralegal studies.

Most of the accredited paralegal schools offer programs with accreditation and quality, which can be the ticket of chances to be hired for paralegal work by a prominent government agency or law office. In becoming a legal assistant, it is not enough to just enroll in an equally obscure institution or college.

The most important thing is the assurance of the programs offered by these accredited paralegal schools. Nowadays, with the trend of being a graduate from accredited paralegal schools, applying for a paralegal work would be very tough.

Most of the companies that hire positions for paralegal work would prefer those who have the general educational standards. Basically, there are different types of accreditation provided to paralegal schools.

The first type is the regional accreditation where a regional accrediting body gives the accreditation to paralegal programs of the accredited paralegal schools. This regional accrediting body will undergo a recognition process from the federal government before it can practice accreditation powers.

The second type is the ABA or American Bar Association, which has strict guidelines to be followed by paralegal schools before getting accreditation. The guidelines provided by ABA contain important information for the programs to be evaluated whereas paralegal schools are required to comply.

In searching for the best accredited paralegal schools, you can start from the department of education in your country that has the list of recognized and accredited paralegal schools.

In this way, it would be much easier to inquire on the offered certificate and degree programs of the paralegal schools.

A paralegal is actually more of a lawyer’s assistant; they are not authorized to give legal advice, contrary to popular belief. They are, however, trained to do many of the tasks which lawyers themselves would normally perform. By having a paralegal available to perform certain tasks such as drafting documents or performing legal research, the lawyer’s time is freed to work on other projects. This allows the lawyer to devote professional time to more substantative topics, and it is also more cost effective for the client, as the paralegal’s time is usually billed at a lower hourly rate than the attorney’s.

Paralegals have a strong background in the way the legal system works, which allows them to act as a virtual assistant for a lawyer. The line between and paralegal services and those tasks that should be performed by a lawyer often differ between firms and areas of practice. It should be noted, however, that paralegal opportunities are available in every practice area, as listed below, giving paralegals the ability to shape their careers to fit their individual lifestyles and goals.

In addition to being trained in various practice areas, paralegals are also employed in a variety of settings. The most common employment setting is a law firm. Paralegals are employed in firms ranging in size from sole practitioners to firms with a global presence. Also employing paralegal services are corporations with in-house legal departments. And finally, some paralegals choose to work for a variety of companies on a contract basis through their own freelance paralegal operation.

Therefore, one of the many perks of being a paralegal is being able to find the right combination of practice area(s) and employment situations so that you’ll develop an enjoyable and fulfilling career which is uniquely your own.

So You Want To Be A Paralegal?

If you have always enjoyed the legal system, but are not ready (or able) to commit to the necessary schooling to become a lawyer, a career as a paralegal may be perfect for you. From Honolulu HI to Rochester NY, and paralegal services are always being sought by a wide range of companies. This normally makes job opportunities plentiful no matter where you choose to live, although when moving to a different state, you’ll need to learn the nuances of that state’s particular legal system – each state does something a little differently.

Aspiring paralegals have a few options. Upon high school graduation, you can enter a paralegal certification program. There are a few types from which to choose, including a paralegal certificate which take only a few months to complete; a two-year degree in paralegal studies; and a more post-graduate type program, requiring that you earn a bachelor’s degree before application. These programs will train you in areas such as research and writing skills, which are applicable to any practice area in which you specialize, as well as give you an overview of a variety of legal topics, such as civil and criminal procedure. When choosing elective courses, however, it’s a good idea to focus your studies in the area of law you wish to pursue in your paralegal career. Be somewhat flexible in your choices, however. Be careful not to specialize too much –a good variety of topics will help you stay flexible in the job market.

When determining your educational path, remember that many firms seeking paralegals are looking for someone with the strongest legal background possible. This means that a four-year program can be most useful. Also, the more experience you get as a paralegal on your resume, the more your career options will expand. So when looking for a job, keep an open mind – experience is key to building a successful career, even if it isn’t in your primary field of interest.

When looking at schools to attend, be mindful that not all paralegal programs are endorsed by the American Bar Association (ABA). Some firms will only consider hiring paralegals who graduated from ABA-accredited schools. So if you are pursuing a career in Rochester NY in paralegal services, check to see which companies in Western NY prefer ABA-accredited training for the paralegals they hire prior to applying to a paralegal studies program.

Education for paralegals doesn’t end with earning a degree or certificate and finding a job. The only constant in the legal community is change. Therefore, to stay current with the ever-changing legal environment, good paralegals subscribe to a variety of news sources and business magazines, as well as attend continuing education seminars. Taking ownership of your knowledge of current events and changes in the law is another key to developing a successful paralegal career.

Practice Areas for Paralegals

As noted above, paralegals can work in a huge variety of practice areas, supporting attorneys who practice in such areas as:

- Bankruptcy
- Business/Corporate
- Collections
- Family Law
- Foreclosures
- Immigration
- Intellectual Property
- Litigation
- Probate and Estate Planning
- Real Estate
- Securities Law
- Criminal Law
-Personal Injury

This is only a sampling of the areas of expertise you can consider for your career. And don’t limit yourself to only one. Each area has its unique challenges. Consider blending a couple areas of interest in your career – that will give you a wider variety of employment opportunities and open the door to potentially different and interesting client and trial experiences.

Be A Major Legal Contributor

A good paralegal at one’s side can be a huge asset to a legal firm or other company. The paralegal support services offered will allow lawyers to stay focused on their clients needs without worrying about some of the more procedural matters. The best paralegals can handle almost anything your firm needs, include finding background information on clients, drafting legal documents, proofreading, doing research, summarizing depositions, organizing records, summarizing documents and much more.

As a paralegal, you may not have spent seven or more years in school after high school, but you can still play an incredibly important role in the legal process as a whole and enjoy a challenging lifelong career, tailored to your specific interests and lifestyle. What could be better than that?

The first program that the Kaplan University offers is the Advanced B.S. in Paralegal Studies. If you already have your Associates Degree, and are looking to get even more education, this is the program for you. A Bachelor of Paralegal Studies will increase your income and will give you excellent employment prospects. Over the course of a lifetime, a Bachelor’s degree will bring you increased earnings.

This program brings together the career focus of a two-year degree with the academic requirements of a four-year program. This program will enhance your communications and critical thinking skills; making you a valuable asset to any law firm you join.

The Kaplan University Advanced Bachelor’s of Paralegal Studies is excellent for students who are either moving into the market place after finishing or continuing on to graduate level studies. The three primary areas of this program are Office Management, Personal Injury, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The second type of paralegal degree offered by the University of Kaplan is the A.A.S in Paralegal Studies. If you are looking to change to a new career or advance your skills as a paralegal, this would be an excellent program for you to take.

You will be taught how to communicate with your peers in the legal department, as well as understanding important legal concepts. You will also learn how to do proper legal research, and study criminal law as well as civil litigation. You will also learn about ethics, and how to make proper decisions.

The third type of degree available at the Kaplan University is the B.S. in Paralegal Studies. This degree is aimed at students who have a strong liberal arts foundation. Students who graduate from this program may become employed with private law firms or federal agencies. The student will gain analytical skills in specialized areas of law.

The fourth type of degree, which is available to students at the Kaplan University, is the Pathway to Paralegal Certificate. This program is good for students with an Associates or Bachelor’s degree who are looking for entry level work as a paralegal.

The program increases you understanding of the paralegal field and also gives you an understanding of the legal system in America. Students will learn how to gather facts as well as manage cases and strategies. Students will also study litigation, and how to properly do legal research. Learning how to use this research in legal arguments is a prime goal of this program.

Athens Technical College
Located in Georgia, Athens Technical College is among those that provide ABA approved paralegal program. It is a public institution that has a minimum length of four quarters to finish the course.
Athens Technical College classes are both in the morning and evening. With an online preparatory module, its class size is only up to 18 students that highlights on quality instruction in clusters or 1- on- 1. The faculty is composed of licensed attorneys that had an extensive training in law practice and paralegal management.

Burlington County College
Located in New Jersey, Burlington County College is among those that provide ABA paralegal program. They have an Associate of Applied Science program that will prepare their students to become efficient legal assistants.
Burlington County College also gives its students the chance to shift to the Bachelors degree even in the semester of graduation. It requires the completion of about twelve law- related, two business and seven general education subjects. Provided during evening time, each are taught by practicing attorneys and licensed paralegals.

Cerritos Community College
Located in California, Cerritos Community College is among those that provide ABA program. They require a minimum time of two years to finish their program.
Cerritos Community College is just twenty minutes away from Los Angeles and Orange County. They have a strong internship program with about thirty- five locations that accept their students be it in law firms, local courts and aid offices. Their two full- time faculty members are legitimate attorneys that have an experience not just in the United States but also abroad.

Denver Career College
Located in Colorado, Denver Career College is among those that provide ABA program. It is a private and proprietary school that offers a Post- degree Certificate in Paralegal Studies. Their internship is mandatory which will be able to equip their students with what awaits them outside the four walls of the academe.
Denver Career College was founded in 1977 and received the endorsement of the American Bar Association two years after. Their day program can be finished in about six months which consists of the practicum outside with an evening module in eleven months. They also grant assistance projects for their graduates so they can find an initial occupation.

In choosing the best online programs, choose the one that will allow the student to complete the degree in the quickest time and the easiest way. Especially if the student already has an Associates Degree, the completion of Bachelorâ??s Degree for paralegal studies would become much easier.

The accreditation of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools is important when choosing online paralegal programs, since it will ensure the legality of the programs offered.

Furthermore, once paralegal courses are accredited by the commission, it would be convincing to present the degree or certificate earned to prospected employers. In this ways, employers would easily believe that the person applying had graduated from an accredited institution.

Apparently, when choosing paralegal courses, you need to be much keener since there are many available online colleges that offer the same programs and services yet with the interest of just making money.

Some are not even credited for any kind of paralegal programs. So, before choosing an online college for your online paralegal education, be sure that you have carefully read the statistics of the institution as well as the legality of its curriculum.

Aside from the reputation, it is important to check on the high graduation rates of the online colleges that offer online paralegal studies. The skill and knowledge of the college should also be assessed to see if it still effectively competes with the current market.

In some cases, it would be best to join some forums or chat rooms for further investigation on the online college you are eyeing.

What Does a Paralegal Do?
Paralegals are also called “legal assistants” for good reason–they assist lawyers. Although they can’t argue a case in court or perform other tasks classified as “practicing law,” they can do just about everything else a lawyer does.

Lawyers may often delegate the prep work to paralegals for trials, hearings, and corporate meetings. Paralegals also typically do research into laws, articles, government regulations, and court decisions. Finally, they also traditionally complete paperwork including writing motions, legal arguments, affidavits, and contracts of all sorts.

How Do You Become a Paralegal?
Becoming a paralegal usually does not require a great deal of formal training, nowhere near the length or amount of training to become a lawyer. Most have an associate’s degree from a paralegal program at a community college. Others may earn a bachelor’s degree, but also acquire a certificate in paralegal studies.

The American Bar Association (ABA) has approved roughly 260 paralegal programs around the country. It can help your job prospects, especially for the more highly coveted (usually higher-paying) positions, to attend an ABA-approved school. But among those 260, entry requirements and program quality vary greatly, so do your own research to make sure you’re getting exactly what you want.

Consider whether the school or program helps you find a job upon completion. Does it offer internship opportunities? Internships can be an excellent way to secure connections and get practical experience.

Job Prospects and Salaries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, even with the predicted job growth competition for those jobs should remain tough. Those with formal training should likely have the best opportunities.

While seventy percent of paralegals work for private law firms, many paralegals can find employment opportunities throughout the different levels of government. The states with the highest concentration of paralegals, in order:
• District of Columbia
• New York
• Delaware
• West Virginia
• Connecticut

The states that pay the best, however, differ slightly:
• District of Columbia
• New York
• California
• Vermont
• Alaska

In 2007, the median annual salary for paralegals was $44,990. Paralegals working for the federal government in 2007 earned an average annual salary of $46,912. Within the federal government, the Department of Justice employs the most paralegals, followed by the Social Security Administration, and the Department of the Treasury.

From nice salary possibilities to benefits packages, from numerous employment opportunities to different legal fields, becoming a paralegal can result in a rewarding, yet challenging career.

Another term for a paralegal is a legal assistant, who is an experienced, knowledgeable and trained person when it comes to concerned laws. A paralegal may act as a legal notary or representative in any given case governed by the laws.

However, paralegals or legal assistants are transposable and indistinguishable in the legal industry. They are also not allowed to provide legal guidance, since they are not lawyers. Nevertheless, learning to become a paralegal can be acquired from any online college that offers the course work.

Here are some helpful steps and tips that can be used on how to become a paralegal:

(1) Inquire from any colleges that offer degrees and certificates on how to become a paralegal

(2) Once you have a college or institution that is already selected for the paralegal training, ensure that it is accepted by ABA, or the American Bar Association. It is important that the college you have chosen for your paralegal straining is ABA approved to ensure the legalities of the programs or courses offered.

(3) Settle to finish either a two-year or four-year paralegal certificate program to make sure that you’ll be working for excellent organizations.

(4) Take time to visit some colleges or institutions that you know offer degrees and certificates on how to become a paralegal. As you visit, check on their proficiency on paralegal courses.

(5) Once the college and programs are settled, choose an area of your legal specialization before beginning the paralegal training. You can choose from copyright laws, exclusive rights, criminal laws, corporate laws and many more.

(6) Computer literacy is important for any paralegal job. Make sure that you know how to do online computer research as well as have a basic knowledge about legal software programs.

(7) Have the ultimate goal of being qualified for the NALA, or National Association of Legal Assistants. In this way, the boost of how to become a paralegal would be high.

While paralegals and legal assistants once were trained on the job, employers today are increasingly depending upon employees who have already completed some type of formal legal education or training. That’s why a legal or paralegal certification, degree or online degree is so important to your future success in the legal profession.

One of a paralegal’s most important tasks is helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Your classes and online programs will teach you to investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all relevant information is considered. Colleges and online schools also will teach you critical skills such as preparing the legal arguments, drafting pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtaining affidavits, and assisting attorneys during trials.

Once you have earned your legal certification via an online legal degree, you will be able to find work in all types of organizations, but most are employed by law firms, corporate legal departments, and various government offices. Your degree program or online courses will prepare you for work in all areas of the law, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate.

Because computer use and technical knowledge has become essential to paralegal work, a well-rounded degree program or online program is critical.There are several ways to become a paralegal. Increasingly, employers prefer graduates of four-year paralegal programs or college graduates who have completed paralegal certificate or online paralegal training programs.

Over 800 formal paralegal training programs are offered by 4-year colleges and universities, law schools, community and junior colleges, business schools, and proprietary schools.

Paralegal programs include 2-year associate’s degree programs, 4-year bachelor’s degree programs, and certificate programs that take only a few months to complete. Many certificate programs only require a high school diploma or GED for admission, but they usually are designed for students who already hold an associate or baccalaureate degree.Your legal or paralegal education will prepare you for a rewarding and relaxed life. According to the National Association of Legal Assistants, paralegals had an average salary of $38,000 in 2000.

Today, on the job trainings still remain an important element in developing successful paralegals, but the roles are shifting. More and more employers are setting requirements for hiring, including higher education and/or formal training in paralegal studies.

But when it comes to paralegal education, or any education for that matter, it is not enough that you enroll in some obscure program provided by an equally obscure school or institution.

Accreditation is your assurance of a program quality and accreditation is your ticket to increasing your chances of getting hired to do paralegal work in a prominent law office or government agency.

Thus, if you are considering a paralegal career, then be sure to enroll in a program provided by an accredited paralegal school. Fortunately, the current trend in paralegal education is accreditation, perhaps in an effort to compensate for the general lack of educational standards in paralegal profession. As such, many of the programs for paralegal studies available today are from accredited paralegal schools.

What are the types of accredited paralegal schools?

The types of accreditation given to paralegal schools are the following:

Regional Accreditation A regionally accredited paralegal school becomes such only after a regional accrediting body grants accreditation to its paralegal programs. For the accreditation to be valid, the regional accrediting body must have jurisdiction over the accredited paralegal school. In addition, the regional accrediting body must also go through a recognition process with the federal government before it could exercise its accreditation powers.
American Bar Association (ABA) Approval The ABA has approved over 250 paralegal or legal assistant training programs nationwide. In order for a school to receive accreditation from the ABA, they must comply with the guidelines laid down by the Association. The only ABA accredited paralegal schools in the country are those that offer programs that are not distance learning or correspondence courses.

The guidelines set forth by the ABA for accredited paralegal schools provide important information when evaluating programs. Even so, schools are not compelled to comply with these guidelines. In fact, it is quite possible for a school to be considered as on par with an ABA- accredited paralegal school even though it has no ABA approval yet, so long as it is in substantial compliance with the ABA guidelines. This compliance, of course, is subjective. In short, it means that the accredited paralegal school program for paralegal studies already complies with the guidelines but, for some reason, has not sought ABA approval yet.

Although lawyers are mostly responsible for legal court work, very often they allot their responsibilities to paralegals. One of the most important tasks of paralegals are to help the lawyers to prepare for hearings, trials, corporate meetings and closings. Paralegals perform the background investigation into the facts of the case and make sure that all the important information has been considered. In addition to this preparatory work, they perform a number of other important functions. For instance, they help in drafting contracts, separation agreements, instruments of trust and mortgages.

Areas Of Work

Many organizations require the expertise of paralegals. Law firms, legal departments of large corporate houses and government offices employ the services of paralegals. Within these organizations, they work in different aspects of applied law, such as corporate law, personal injury, real estate, family law, employee benefits and even criminal law. Since law has increased in complexity, paralegals now also specialize in their services. Paralegals in corporations and the public sector usually work a standard 40-hour week.

Training

There are a number of ways to become a paralegal. The most common is a paralegal program at a community college that matures into an associate’s degree. The other common method is through a program of certification in paralegal studies. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in paralegal studies are also available at a number of schools. Some employers also train paralegals. They hire college graduates with no legal experience and train them hands-on.

Nearly 1000 colleges and universities, proprietary schools and law schools offer formal paralegal training. Graduation from a program with ABA (American Bar Association) approval can enhance employment opportunities. Familiarity with technical knowledge and the working of computers are also essential in paralegal work. The Internet and computer software are regularly used to research legal literature and save databases. Therefore, a course in computer operations can be extremely useful and is virtually essential.

Job Outlook

Employment for paralegals is expected to grow much faster in the future. Employers are trying to cut costs by hiring paralegals to take care of a number of tasks that were earlier performed by lawyers. Experienced and formally trained paralegals have the best employment opportunities. Insurance companies, banks, real estate agencies and title insurance firms are now hiring paralegals. The demand for paralegals will increase with the expanding population’s demand for legal services.

Earning Prospects

Earnings of paralegals and legal assistants vary. Salaries are based on experience, education, training, the type and size of the employing company and the geographic location. In general, paralegals working for large legal firms or in large cities and metropolitan areas usually earn more than those who work within smaller firms or in remote regions. In addition to the salary, many companies offer a system of bonus to paralegals. The average starting salary can be anything around $30,000. Even the lowest paid is close to $26,000, while the top make as much as $60,000 or more.

After five years of experience, the average salary increases. The average paralegal salary for the top bracket can increase to as much as $80,000 in five years.

If you have an analytical mind, and like law, then a career as a paralegal can prove to be immensely satisfying.