Education has played and continues to play a vital role in the development of the paralegal profession. Although "on the job training" remains an important element in developing successful paralegals, the role of higher education and formal paralegal education is increasingly important in the growth and development of the paralegal profession.
In only three decades, paralegal education has evolved from a handful of programs to several hundred across the United States, from brick and mortar institutions to on-line and hybrid programs. Paralegal education is recognized in several foreign countries including Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. This dynamic growth has been marked by great diversity -- in terms of the type of educational
institution (community colleges, public and private four-year colleges, and proprietary schools) and the level of the education (Associate Degrees, Baccalaureate Degrees, Baccalaureate Degrees with a paralegal minor, post-degree certificates, and Masters Degrees). Additionally, some programs offer a general curriculum with classes in the major areas of paralegal practice, while others offer specialization in particular areas of the law, such as; civil litigation, corporate/business, real estate, family law, and domestic relations. This variety is in response to differing regional needs to which those programs respond, varying student populations they serve, as well as the overall structure of public education in the specific state. Student populations vary by academic needs and expectations, together with the degree of maturity and experience with which they pursue their academic work. The differences among student populations influence not only their selection and the content of paralegal specialty courses, but also often dictates their general educational needs. Such differences continue to intensify, as our population seeks to expand horizons and employment opportunities. Consequently, educators must be able to respond to students’ actual needs as they become apparent. With more adult learners, especially veterans, schools are faced with a student population that generally reflects the general population in their geographic area. Geography accounts for much of our educational diversity. Each region experiences its own ebb and flow in the development of legal specializations. A high demand for expertise in immigration law may currently exist in California, for example, but less so in Oklahoma, where the law surrounding oil and gas development or Native American issues may have greater urgency
Hatch, Scott A., Hatch, Lisa Zimmer. Paralegal Career For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2006. Print.
Peter Paralegal is employed by Honest Law Firm and has been instructed by his supervising attorney to prepare and conduct initial interviews with two potential clients to see if a conflict of interest is present. Big Box and Value Mart are competitors and are requesting representation by Honest Law Firm on matters that are unrelated to one another. Peter Paralegal was also asked to perform tasks related to the cases such as; prepare questions and conduct initial interviews, explain legal fees arrangements, establish the attorney-client relations, draft initial pleadings and responses, interview witnesses, draft and sign initial case evaluation letters.
Paralegals have become an essential part of today's legal system, and as the profession becomes one of the leading and fastest growing occupations in the U.S. economy; these individuals perform delegated tasks under the supervision of attorneys. Education has played an important part on this matter; it has facilitated this development by allowing lawyers to use these skills professionals as agents to delegate specific tasks such as legal research, gathering of information and the drafting of specific legal documents under the supervision and final approval of their principals. This has been very significant because now; we can enjoy a speedy process in a cumbersome legal system. From en economic standpoint, it has also been beneficial by decreasing the substantial amount of the legal cost a firm could incur if only lawyers were allowed to perform this kind work.
A Florida Registered Paralegal is a person who is qualified and has gone through training, education and work experience to work under the supervision of a lawyer. He or she is there to help the attorney with drafting documents, legal research, legal investigations, contacting clients, and interviewing clients. The bill says that the requirements of the bill are “the person has to have prescribed education and experience, and have the prescribed certifications”. In order for a person to be eligible to be a Florida Registered Paralegal they have to have met one of the following education and work experience. They have to have a bachelor’s degree in paralegal plus a minimum of one year of paralegal work experience or a person can have an associate degree plus a minimum of two years of paralegal experience. There has been a lot debate over the bill some people think the bill is helping the paralegal while others think it’s just a
Although the legal profession is a single discourse community, it is made up of many smaller discourse communities. This is so because while all lawyers share the same broad goals of the legal profession and have a general knowledge and expertise in all areas of the law, most lawyers after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam specialize in a particular area of law. This specialization requires the lawyer to go beyond the broad concepts of law as a whole and to become knowledgeable and proficient in the sometimes minute details of a more specific area of law. Even then, some lawyers will go even further to focus on one aspect or another of that particular area of law. This results in most lawyers being members of many even smal...
My major is Paralegal Studies and I expect to graduate with an Associates of Arts degree in December of this year. Many years ago, as an investigator for both a private company and a county agency, I was introduced to the legal field. Recently, I was awarded the opportunity to attend college, so I decided I wanted to reenter the legal profession as a paralegal. The paralegal profession appeals to me, because I enjoy the processes of developing a case, as well as its legal aspects. A paralegal is involved in a case from the beginning to the end; from the initial client interview to assisting the attorney during the client’s trial or the settlement process. My goal is to become a paralegal for a solo practitioner or a small firm in my local area who represent clients in different areas of the law.
Many people think a lawyer's job is knowing the law. It is true but there is more to lawyering than knowing what the law reads. In fact, most lawyering duties require a strong set of analytical ability. According to the MacCrate Report in 1992, a task force was assigned to define basic lawyering skills and what skills are necessary for a student should possess by the time they begin practicing law (Natt Gantt, 2007). These basic skills and values include: (1) problem solving; (2) legal a...
The Paralegal Professional, A reference to the source of legal information chapter 1 and lettures from class powerpoints.
Professionals are people who have equipped themselves with the knowledge and skills in a given field. The interest of improvement of the professional identity is an evidence of how high standards are placed upon the professionals in the community (Johnson et al., 2012). Each profession creates its norms, values and scope of practice that distinguishes it from any other profession. Different legal ethics are upheld and everyone needs to work as per the stipulated ethics in the field to be part of the profession. People in the field are expected to be knowledgeable and independently use decision
Becoming a Paralegal can be a difficult task if you do not spend time researching your career choice. Enjoying researching and preparing for trial is just a few of the responsibilities needed to become a criminal paralegal.
A good way to decide what area of law to specialize in is to look at your interests and evaluate which areas of the law most closely relates to the things that interests you. Are you willing to working with families and help individuals? Are you a lover of the outdoors with an interest in the environment, or do you binge watch “Law and Order” and day dream about being a criminal defense? No matter what your interests are, there are areas of law that will meet the interests that you have. According to a blog on a paralegal website titled Specialties: Picking your path as a paralegal “Being a paralegal is a rewarding occupation in which you can stretch yourself, earn an excellent living and have an impact on the world around you, no matter which field of law you choose for your
My paralegal education will allow me to be more effective and efficient in my goal to provide the best possible recommendation to the court in placing the child in a loving environment. This will give the child the best chance for success to live a full and happy
Introduction Lawyers’ duties are relevant not only to their clients, for there is also a “public interest that the duty should be performed” [1P3]. Lawyers are, in society, in the unique position of quasi-state actors. Although not formally part of the state, they are vital in the smooth operation of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government [1P3]. Several features of lawyers’ duties and responsibilities are distinct from the legal profession. The justification for such features resides in this function lawyers are required to perform in society.
In the legal system and real world, people are faced with many decisions and or situations. Most people probably do not give a second thought, or bat an eye, as to the type of decision or situation they are making or are in. The first category thought about is legality and the second is ethicality. Most people think that if it’s illegal, it’s unethical, and if it’s legal, it is ethical. This is not always the case. As shown in Counsellor at Law, sometimes these categories do not overlap as initially thought.
Growing opportunities, the demand for paralegals will continue to grow for many reasons but particularly because they play an essential role in keeping legal costs in check.”