The Net’s Most Wanteds

What’s the old saying, “the only thing that’s constant is change” but in the world of the paralegal there is one small caveat to that old adage when it comes to certification. Like most professions, changes in technology, rules and regulations have dictated rather dramatic changes in how an individual is trained and that holds true for paralegals. However, the requirement to become certified has remained unchanged; which means there is no certification requirement. Of course, a good percentage of fresh faced paralegal school trained graduates do take one of the many certification tests available shortly after graduation but the fact remains it’s still not required.

Critical aspects to remember when looking into the quality of a paralegal program:

1. Paralegal schools should educate students with the primary objective being to development the entire student. This needs to be done by teaching usable, sensible workforce skills alongside a solid core of legal theory. The curriculum should encompass topics like torts and legal contracts, legal writing and contracts, litigation and legal research. Organizational and communication skills must be developed in addition to a student’s capacity to think critically and apply the legal theory into real world situations. A high quality paralegal school will also provide the opportunity to learn through programs like an internship or clinical experience.

2. Unquestioned belief to the value of the paralegal position within the legal field, from both the program director and the faculty, is essential. Plus, both the paralegal school “dean” and the teachers need to have the desired scholastic accreditation to run the program and to teach the curriculum. In a perfect world, the “dean” would have a law degree and the teachers would be considered “experts” in their fields with an advanced paralegal degree and measurable experience.

3. An ever increasing number of paralegal colleges now offer online paralegal programs. Granted, online training has become more popular over the past few years, primarily because of its’ convenience and cost savings but regardless of the reasons why it has become so popular you must determine if it’s right for you. A key factor you may want to ask yourself is, “Do I have the ambition and focus to complete the homework and watch all the lectures on my own?” If no, look for the nearest campus and if yes, getting your paralegal degree online may be the best thing since sliced bread.

You want to become a paralegal. Sounds like a great career and it is, but like any profession your natural born skills and personality traits need to match up with the job requirements in order to be happy and successful. So what traits do you need to succeed as a paralegal? Well, you must enjoy research; have the ability to write in legal ease, have above average communication skills and not fold under pressure. If this sounds like you, then I hear a paralegal degree calling your name.

Visit www.totalparalegal.com/paralegal_degree.html for more information on a paralegal degree.