If you love the law, but don't feel the urge to become a lawyer, consider paralegal training . Paralegals assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services, including preparing for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. But their work is anything but simple, and requires formal paralegal training, and plenty of hands-on legal experience.Formal paralegal training can take the form of an associate degree, a certificate in paralegal studies, or even a bachelor's or master's degree. Most paralegal certificate programs provide intensive and specialized training for those who already have a college degree. Degree programs generally combine paralegal training with courses in other academic subjects. Paralegal training covers legal terminology, legal applications of computers, performing legal research on the Internet, new developments in the law, ethical standards of the legal profession, and more. You can receive paralegal training from one of about 1,000 paralegal schools in the country, 260 of which are approved by the American Bar Association. There are many factors to consider when evaluating paralegal training programs. Programs should have a legal research library and computer labs, and they should provide the opportunity to participate in honor societies and volunteer work in the legal community. Information about paralegal associations and continuing paralegal education should also be available. Paralegal training should encompass legal theory as well as practical job skills, and should incorporate an internship, practicum, or clinical experience. Once you've completed paralegal training, you may take the National Association of Legal Assistants' (NALA) two-day exam to earn the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) designation. As of September 2006, there were 13,729 CLAs in the United States. NALA also offers an updated Advanced Certified Paralegal designation if you wish to specialize in other areas of the law. That's the beauty of paralegal training -- your career will not be limited to one area of the law. Paralegals can work in bankruptcy, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, family law, immigration, intellectual property, labor law, litigation, personal injury, or real estate. Paralegal careers aren't limited, period. In fact, paralegals held about 224,000 jobs in 2004, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects paralegal employment to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. In May 2004, paralegals had median annual earnings of $39,130, with the top 10 percent earning more than $61,390. Research paralegal training, and cultivate your love of all things legal.
About the author:
Robyn Tellefsen is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.
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