| Criminal Justice Career Articles :: Paralegal |
Paralegal |
When selecting the best paralegal program for you, it's important to keep these considerations in mind.
Paralegal courses should teach practical job skills to complement your study of legal theory. The curriculum should cover torts, ethics, legal research and writing, litigation, business organizations, and contracts. Paralegal coursework should develop your critical thinking, organizational, communication, and computational skills, as well as your ability to handle ethical issues.
Paralegal programs should feature a legal research library and computer labs. They should also provide information about paralegal associations and continuing paralegal education. You should be given the opportunity to participate in honor societies and to perform volunteer work in the legal community. Most important, paralegal programs should offer an experiential learning component such as a practicum, internship, or clinical experience.
For your paralegal studies, you may choose to pursue a certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or even a master's degree. You might consider a certificate program if you already have an associate or a bachelor's degree. If you're interested in a paralegal associate degree program, be sure to find out about the potential transferability of courses to a four-year degree at another school. Finally, inquire whether the paralegal program you're considering has been approved by the American Bar Association.
Once you've carefully evaluated your education options, get ready to enroll and embark on your paralegal career. |
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