Paralegals are represented by a number of professional organizations. One, which has only been around since 2003 but is making a big splash in the field, is the American Alliance of Paralegals Inc (AAPI). The AAPI was the first organization with national scope that became involved in setting up minimum educational requirements and guidelines. They also require that voting members meet certain work experience or educational guidelines.
Key steps to quickly and correctly evaluate the value of a paralegal program:
1. Paralegal degree courses must teach hands-on applicable job skills in addition to bottom-line legal theory. The curriculum should also emphasize legal writing, torts, legal contracts and research and legal ethics. Paralegal schools should advance a students’ discriminating thinking capacity along with communication, organizational skills and an aptitude to correctly handle ethical issues. An opportunity to gain real-world experience before graduation through internships or clinical experience is also important.
2. Who are the participants running the show? In other words, who were the people that put together the paralegal schools curriculum and who are teachers? Does the teaching staff and paralegal program director have outstanding educational credentials and the field experience to bring their book knowledge to life? Minimally, the program director should have a law degree or other type of advanced degree and the faculty must have real-world experience working with paralegals but preferably as a paralegal and they must be an “expert” in the subject matter they are teaching.
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.
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.
