Paralegal Certificate Program
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A paralegal certificate program can provide a person who wants to work in the legal profession the opportunity to fulfill that ambition without prior college experience. Paralegals are persons who assist lawyers in their profession of advocating for the law. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the need for paralegals will grow at a faster rate than the average for all occupations through 2014. Through a certificate program consisting roughly of sixty college credit hours of instruction, a person can achieve a position in a law firm that can pay over fifty thousand dollars per year after twenty years of experience. It is an honorable profession and one that is sorely needed in many law firms across the country.
Many college graduates who may have a hard time finding work in their chosen profession can do entry level paralegal work without a paralegal certificate program. To be honest, entry level PL work can be pretty boring. Hours of document copying, collating, filing documenting and other related work. Sometimes interviewing of witnesses may be on the job description, but it really is more about the more mundane responsibilities. The hours may not be as routine as one might hope for the average twenty-one thousand dollars to start. That's the average amount an entry level PL makes per year. Hours may sometimes go into the weekends, especially if there is a big case coming up. But if a person makes this vocation a life-long commitment, more opportunities within the firm can arise, allowing for exciting work and responsibilities as well as higher pay.
Paralegals are not able to offer legal services themselves because the government does not recognize a paralegal as an officer of the court and are not under the same kinds of rules of conduct as are attorneys. In an effort to cut down on expenses to much higher paid attorneys, many companies are turning to PLs to do the work that the lawyers has been doing in the past. However, PLs are specifically forbidden by law to set fee schedules, give legal advice and presenting cases in court. While many who perform paralegal work for attorneys are not professionally trained, there are many who seek the paralegal certificate program diploma and its inherent recognition that the person is interested in furthering their career through education. Finding a place to train and receive paralegal certificate program recognition can be done at most junior colleges as well as at plenty of online educational provider websites. Here is what a person can expect:
Not all certificate program offerings are the same. Some are twenty five credit hours while others are longer, but more doesn't necessarily mean better. What can be expected are a number of introductory courses to basic law fundamentals. Most courses offer an oversight of the American court and legal system, a study of torts and personal injury cases, family law, criminal law, real estate regulations and law, business law and legal writing. If a person has had difficulty in school with English and communication, this could present a problem in the pursuit of the paralegal certificate program diploma. In addition to these required courses, a number of electives are also available, meant to enhance the future PL's understanding of legal matters. "Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore and remember His marvelous works that he hath done; His wonders and the judgments of his mouth." (Psalm 105:4, 5)
Since about one thousand colleges and universities offer paralegal training, their certificate program often gets more attention from potential employers than the online providers. The programs that are approved by the American Bar Association are the ones that a person considering such training ought to lean toward. Many of these programs allow and encourage an internship in various places like a private law firm, corporate legal department, legal aid organization or other government agency. These internships go a long way towards giving a potential employer a more favorable opinion of the one working through a paralegal certificate program. In addition to seeking a certification diploma, a future paralegal might want to consider getting into the National Federation of Paralegals upon graduation. A strong emphasis on continuing education will help the PL keep abreast of the continuing changes in the law. And as a PL gains more and more experience, management of other staff and newer PLs will probably be part of the job requirements as well as doing some traveling for the attorney to check records and interview witnesses.
Graduates of college can usually get through a paralegal certificate program in a few months. Those with no college degree may take a year or more to complete the program, but as stated earlier, each on is different and so research should be undertaken to find out the best paralegal certificate program for you. Paying for this education can be done through student loans to colleges and universities and those online schools that qualify for federal loans. Online providers may have some resources to help finance the education and that information can be gleaned at the initial phone call. Before investing money in any program, do some extensive job shadowing with paralegals at different locations to see not only what they job is all about but also find out their feelings about the job and their long term future in the field. Getting into the paralegal profession may lead a person down the road to becoming an attorney!
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