What Education Is Needed to Become a Paralegal?
Many schools, colleges and universities offer training and degree programs in paralegal studies and legal assisting. A number of factors can influence your choice of courses and institutions, such as length of course, cost and location.
Some professional paralegal associations offer certification examinations and award professional designations to those who qualify. A few of those examinations do not require a formal education, but they do require paralegal experience.
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History
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In the late 1960s, the American Bar Association (ABA) began an outreach effort to make legal services more readily available to the impoverished. As a means of both reducing costs and increasing available staff, educated laypeople began processing some of the legal work ordinarily performed by lawyers.
Many of the first paralegals were legal secretaries who received on-the-job training in law and performing legal tasks. The American Bar Association has since suggested guidelines for the training and education of paralegals.
Education and Training
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Paralegal education and training covers a broad range of programs, certificates and degrees.
Although ABA approval is not a requirement for paralegal education, at least one-quarter of the programs in the U.S. are ABA-approved, all of them offered by two- or four-year colleges. Many paralegals earn associate's, bachelor's and even master's degrees.
On the other end of the spectrum are schools offering diplomas and certificates in paralegal education and legal assistant.
Areas of study include legal office procedures, legal writing and research, bankruptcy procedures, probate, trusts and wills, family law, real estate practices and criminal law. Some paralegals choose to specialize in one area of practice. -
Schools Offering Paralegal Education
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Schools that offer diplomas, certificates and degrees in paralegal studies or legal assisting include Westwood College in Los Angeles, which has a bachelor's program in criminal justice/paralegal; City College in Gainesville, Florida, which offers an associate's degree in legal assisting/paralegal; and Institute of Business and Medical Careers in Fort Collins, Colorado, which has a certificate or associate's option in paralegal.
You can also study online through institutions offering everything from a certificate to a master's degree (see Resources).
Certification
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Certification is not mandatory, but it can demonstrate your proficiency and may make a difference in your salary.
The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) offers a two-day certification test for those meeting their educational and experience standards. Upon passing, you will be designated a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) or Certified Paralegal (CP).
The National Federation of Paralegal Associates offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination and awards the PACE- Registered Paralegal, or "RP."
The National Association for Legal Professionals (NALS) awards three certifications, the ALS, the PP and the PLS. The PP and the PLS don't require formal education, but you must have experience.
Tuition Costs
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Tuition costs for a paralegal degree at a two-year technical college can be about $13,000. A certificate at a career institute is about $750. The master's program at George Washington University totals $11,600, plus approximately $750 for books and fees.
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