There are hundreds of professional organizations that provide resources and support to their paralegal members but the field is really dominated by a handful that have the clout and membership to influence rules and make changes within the industry. A few of those top professional organizations include: the American Alliance of Paralegals (AAPI), the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) and the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) which combined have an estimated 35,000 plus members all across the United States. While the AAPI primary purpose is providing the best paralegal training and educational programs possible the NFPA and NALA work to influence and guide the language and it’s used within the profession.
Vital aspects to remember when breaking down a paralegal program:
1. Paralegal school curriculum should focus on teaching practical job skills alongside a solid legal theory foundation. Concentration courses should revolve around topics like litigation and legal writing, legal ethics, contract and business organization. In addition to developing a usable knowledge of the law, a high quality paralegal training program will emphasize creative and critical thinking, organizational and computational skills. The overall development of the student should also be a critical objective along with some type of real world experience like an internship before graduation.
2. Unquestioned belief to the value of the paralegal position within the legal field, from both the program director and the faculty, is essential. Plus, both the paralegal school “dean” and the teachers need to have the desired scholastic accreditation to run the program and to teach the curriculum. In a perfect world, the “dean” would have a law degree and the teachers would be considered “experts” in their fields with an advanced paralegal degree and measurable experience.
3. The latest fad in learning is to learn online through the internet but is this right learning environment for you or should you stick with the traditional brick and mortar classroom? The aforementioned is just one of the many questions you need to answer before pursuing your paralegal degree online. Another vital question that needs answered is how will you receive your training? Will it be web-based or through interactive video or whatever is the latest and greatest technological advance. Regardless of the delivery method it comes down to this; “Is online learning right for you?” If yes; jump right in because the benefits in convenience and cost are many but if not, then don’t do it. Simply go out and find the best brick and mortar paralegal school near you.
As the old saying goes, “if you want more than just a job and you have what it takes” then in today’s uncertain economy a career in law as a paralegal, is about as good as opportunities get. Undoubtedly, opportunity knocks for those that have the required drive and training. So if you’ve been sitting on the fence; the time is now, jump down and go get your paralegal degree.
