Paralegal School Essay

Paralegal Schools for a Promising Professional Career

Paralegal schools offer a wonderful way to make a career that is exciting as well as rewarding. These schools give their graduates the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of career options in the field of law.

Paralegal schools help you to gain basic knowledge as well as hand on experience. These schools teach you how to be a perfect legal assistant as well as provide a way to give you that knowledge one-on-one.

In the current economic environment where jobs are difficult to come by, a career as a paralegal offers a relatively better job outlook. Salaries for paralegals are more consistent, and job prospects are less affected by the volatile macro economic factors, compared to other industries.

According to the available statistics, the average yearly

salary of a paralegal in the year 2010 was around $46,000. The top twenty to twenty five percent of paralegals received around $60,000 whereas the highest ten percent earned over $74,000 per year.
A paralegal is commonly known as a legal assistant who helps lawyers in all aspects from interviews of the clients to legal research.

The work of the paralegal starts from the time when the client visits the attorney’s office.

Responsibilities of the Legal Assistant

Paralegals obtain information from the client, take detailed notes regarding the purpose of the visit of the client and pass all this information to the lawyer for further study and analysis.

They are responsible for drafting all legal papers that are required to be submitted with the interoffice memorandum as well as the court system. These responsibilities are extremely important for the smooth working of the legal offices. The attorneys would have a very tough time if these essential duties were not done in an appropriate manner.

Paralegals are also required to maintain a calendar and keep track of all the important deadlines. This is because the timing of legal papers that are to be filed in the court is very vital.

The paralegal also assists the attorneys in all the critical planning that will be needed throughout the trial. They interview witnesses and clients and help to gather all relevant

facts.
Thus we see that a paralegal performs nearly all of the functions of an attorney except actual litigation. Paralegal schools train the students for all this.
Paralegal Schools
Most paralegal schools offer associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. They also offer certificate programs for those with limited time and budgets.
Paralegals that specialize in real estate help lawyers with the framing of agreements, closings and escrows. Paralegals of corporations work within the internal legal departments of a wide range of corporate businesses. Government paralegals receive employment in county, local, federal and state departments. It is critical to understand and then choose the area you would be keen to work in.
You can choose between paralegal schools that are online as well as those that are on the campus. If you want you can also do a combination of both of these by taking online and on the campus lesson.
The online courses have the advantage of flexibility of time as well as money. Their only requirement is access to the computer and an Internet connection. It is important to consider some factors while choosing a paralegal school.
Considerations
Firstly, make sure that the school has appropriate accreditation. Most paralegal schools are either certified by the American Bar Association or some other regional certification body.
It is also essential to search around and inquire to the details from other students. It is of utmost importance that you are happy with the college you choose.
The next factor is to find out whether the program you choose offers course flexibility. Most of the schools provide the options of full-time and part-time courses.
Lastly, verify if the educational system you choose has provisions for internships. This is one of the most important factors since a paralegal can gain maximum experience and knowledge only by actually working in the field.
Paralegal programs that provide internships are best for the completion of your paralegal training.
There are several paralegal schools in the country. One of the most prominent is the National Paralegal College. This school provides a high quality of Internet-based instruction and education.
It is ideal for students who wish to become a paralegal. This school is suitable for students who wish to obtain detailed paralegal training. This school offers three types of academic programs.
First a certificate course in paralegal studies. This program can be completed within a period of seven months. Second an associate degree course in paralegal studies that can be done in fifteen months. And thirdly, the option of a bachelor’s degree course in legal studies that can be finished in a period of three years. All the programs offered by the school boast of structured courses and are highly interactive in nature.
Paralegal schools equip you with a degree that lets you work in the law field assisting attorneys and making a huge difference in the lives of people everywhere. The best of luck in your career choice as a legal assistant!