Paralegal Qualifications

The paralegal, or legal assistant, is a legal associate assisting the attorney in some or most legal duties with the exception of providing legal advice to clients. In order to become a paralegal, you must meet certain qualifications.

Education

Most paralegals are required to have some form of postsecondary education, whether it is a four-year bachelor's degree in any field or a two-year degree in paralegal studies.

Certification

Some employers have started requiring paralegals to obtain a certification in a particular field either before starting in the role or shortly thereafter.

Customer Service

Paralegals interact with clients and with internal and external legal associates on a daily basis and are therefore expected to possess outstanding customer service skills.

Computer Skills

The legal field, like most fields, has moved to mainly electronic filing systems and electronic forms of communication. As a result, the paralegal must be computer-savvy in order to perform most of her job functions.

Research

One of the paralegal's main functions is to perform legal research for each case on which he works; therefore, the paralegal must be knowledgeable in the resources available for legal research such as LexisNexis and WestLaw.

Resources

• NALA