Online Paralegal Certification

Receiving an online paralegal certification can open a number of doors for the person seeking to begin a new career within the legal profession. New paralegal positions are being created by the thousands each year, and the demand for this career's service is high. The prefix "Para" means to come alongside, and that defines the purpose of a paralegal, and that is to assist with legal matters that would be otherwise be handled by an attorney. A paralegal or law assistant's work is not to take the place of an attorney, but rather to take on legal work not necessarily needing or requiring an attorney's direct intervention. The trained assistant is never to give legal advice or counsel, and work by a PL should be supervised by a licensed attorney. Their work is also, like an attorney, billed by the hour, but at a lower rate.

As a person considers achieving the title of paralegal, it would be natural to ponder the possibility of using online services to provide the educational tools for becoming a PL, particularly if that person is already working a fulltime job and convenience and/or circumstance dictates an online certification. Websites abound with organizations that offer a paralegal certificate program. One website offers certificationin eight weeks, while another says it will take seven to seventeen months to complete its certification process. Are these the proverbial apples to apples comparisons, or is one certification more prestigious than another, requiring much more work and providing more credence when job hunting? In reality, a paralegal certification earned at a state university could not be compared with an eight week degree offered on line if certification accreditation is the issue. In fact, the largest association representing legal assistants requires that its members be graduates of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association. Consequently, when considering online paralegal certification, there are many things to take into account.

Among the most obvious considerations to weigh is whether or not the online service offering the education is well respected in the legal community. Make inquiry with local attorneys and other legal contributors to the community of their assessment of the program being considered. Perhaps one of the most obvious indicators of the quality of a paralegal certificate program is whether the program will offer training regardless of how much schooling the candidate possesses. Since it is a well known fact and sometimes even a joke that legalese can be baffling, mind-numbing and at times quirky, it is important for one desirous of becoming a legal assistant or PL, to have an extensive vocabulary, excellent oral skills, and at least a modicum of sophisticated writing expertise. This can only be gained through a fluid understanding of grammar, verb agreement, sentence and paragraph structure that goes beyond freshman high school English. Any program suggesting an online paralegal certification can be earned without these basic skills already in hand is a fraud and should be given a very wide berth.

Another issue to be considered with getting an education from a website is the amount of time students have with teachers and instructors to ask questions, interact with other students, and the pedigree of the faculty. Investigation into the background, the degrees the staff possesses and where those degrees were earned are important to know. The methods by which classes or instruction are offered is also important. Will the student just be given a spiral notebook and a few books to read, or is there online video instruction from an actual classroom available? Is there a substantial online library that can be accessed at any time to offer resources beyond the material included in the online paralegal certification course and does the online provider offer help with financial aid? Finally, is there an internship program offered so that the student can learn in the real legal arena?

There are a number of subjects that should be included in the legal assistant or PL program. Things such as tort law, legal research, litigation, and writing contracts plus higher reasoning and communication skills that make a point and even a course in logic should be included in the paralegal certificate program. In addition, the basic of real estate law, bankruptcy, wills and trusts should also be incorporated into a well reasoned program. Because a legal assistant is hired to track down witnesses and take statements, attend the execution of wills and depositions, be able to do statistical research, summarize testimonies and draft legal summaries and interrogatories, it is important that the one considering online paralegal certification make sure that real competency is gained through the engagement of a service offering a paralegal certificate program. "Take fast hold of instruction; do not let her go; keep her, for she is thy life." (Proverbs 4:13)

The law profession has drawn its fair share of critics through the centuries, mostly due to men and women who didn't respect the history and the genius of law. The law can certainly be used by well informed practices of jurisprudence to protect the strong and punish the weak, or to increase a rich man's coffers while causing the poor man more misery. But there is also something about the law becoming the champion of the oppressed and the protector of the innocent that can send shivers down the back of any human being that beholds the beauty of justice and order being practiced in a world that seems to only favor the elite. There can be few vocations more rewarding from an ethical and moral viewpoint than the practice of law done for the right reason and motive. The legal assistant has the opportunity to enjoy that reward.

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