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Paralegal Degrees

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Paralegal Degrees – all in a day’s work

QUALIFICATION
In the US a paralegal will usually have a completed one of the 250 odd paralegal courses (including paralegal degrees) offered by one of the 1000 or so paralegal schools. In the UK a paralegal may have a paralegal educational qualification, or may have qualified through accreditation of some prior work experience.

TYPICAL DAILY TASKS
In legal firms, Paralegals mostly work as assistants to lawyers, bridging the gap between the work that only lawyers can do, and that which requires no, or certainly a very limited, knowledge of the law and its processes. This work typically consists of researching case information, drafting documents, and similar rather specialised clerical and administrative tasks. Outside law companies, paralegals may conduct tasks where they have specialist knowledge of niche areas of the law and its implementation – e.g. Contract Managers, Health & Safety Officers, Company Secretaries, etc.

PERSONAL TRAITS OF A TYPICAL PARALEGAL
Paralegal work is suited to a whole range of people, but the key traits of those likely to be well suited to become a paralegal are:
Responsibility – A paralegal has to take responsibility for seeing tasks through to completion.
Trust, Honesty and Integrity – A paralegal has to have the trust of clients and colleagues to complete tasks to the best of their ability, working on the client’s behalf with no conflict of interest.
IT skills – most paralegal jobs require a high degree of IT skills for documentation and research.
Attention to detail – Paralegals need the ability to see the detail of what needs to be done, and also to make sure that it is done.

Be good with people
If you’d like to assess your own suitability to work as a Paralegal, it is possible to undertake an online psychometric test

PARALEGAL EARNINGS
Paralegal salaries range widely, depending on experience and employer.

In the US a paralegal salaries range from starting salaries of around $25,000 in smaller government offices, to more than $65,000 plus benefits for senior posts in bigger law firms. The average US paralegal salary is around $45,000.

In the UK there is a similar distribution, with a starting salary of around £14,000 in smaller law firms, ranging to higher-ranking salaries of £80,000 in bigger city practices. Additionally, paralegals may work freelance for a daily or hourly rate.
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Paralegal Degrees – How much do they cost & how long do they take?

In the US alone, there are over 250 paralegal courses available from around 1000 paralegal schools. The different paralegal degrees and other approved courses reflect the differing educational qualifications required by individual employers for paralegal jobs, and the various requirements of the local jurisdiction.

COSTS AND TIMESCALES – US
In the US most new Paralegals have an Associate Paralegal Degree, or an unrelated bachelor’s degree combined with a Certificate of Paralegal Studies

In the US paralegal certificate courses cost from around $1000, and advanced paralegal certificate around $1500. Courses are available in a number of formats to suit the candidate’s circumstances – 6 weeks of live lectures, 14 weeks of online lectures, and as DVD lectures for independent study at the candidates own pace.

COSTS AND TIMESCALES – UK
In the UK online courses leading to an accredited paralegal qualification are available from around £400, providing as two 6 week modules.

Distance learning courses leading to a BTEC in Law & Legal Work are available from around £800 pounds. Since the distance learning course is completed at the student’s own pace, timescales for completing the course will vary, but a suggested time to complete the BTEC course is around 6 months.

If your ambition and budget – both for time and money – reach further still various full time degree courses are available. The true cost of a full time course depends so much on personal circumstances, whether you would travel or board, etc. so check the IoP site for more information.

APL & APEL – If you already have some related educational qualifications or prior work experience look for ‘Approved Prior Learning’ (APL) and ‘Approved Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning’ (APEL) programs that will give credits or even exemptions from parts of the course

SUMMARY
The choice of education and qualification goals should be made with one eye on any previous qualifying education and employment, and the other on the rules and regulations governing employment in the jurisdiction where you intend to work.

Paralegal Degrees – How to qualify

BACKGROUND
Paralegal is a relatively new and rapidly expanding area of law related employment. Certification and qualification from an approved Paralegal School is becoming more and more important, and more paralegals are seeking a recognised educational qualification – such as one of the ABA approved paralegal degrees, or one of the other ABA approved paralegal courses.

Previously, companies have employed Paralegals based on their appraisal of the candidate’s combined educational, training and work experience, and up until now many paralegals have gained employment in their particular law ‘niche’ primarily through work experience, rather than any particular educational qualification.

As the whole area of paralegals continues to expand, it is likely that the level of regulation will increase, and the need for an appropriate qualification will become even more of a necessity.

US – EDUCATION
The most direct form of paralegal education is to take an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies, or less commonly, a Bachelor’s Degree. However, for someone who already has a College Degree, an intensive Certification program allows a shorter route.

The American Bar Association has approved around 250 or so courses, offered by around 1000 educational establishments.

US – QUALIFICATION
In the US paralegals with a bachelor’s degree and two years experience can voluntarily take a national association exam to become ‘Registered’ e.g. the National Federation of Paralegal Associations RP (Registered Paralegal) program. Alternatively a Paralegal with an Associate degree can become ‘Certified’ (‘Certificated’) through an exam such as the National Association of Legal Assistants’ CP (Certified Paralegal) program, or the American Alliance of Paralegals’ AACP (American Alliance Certified Paralegal) qualification.

Although registration or certification is currently on a voluntary basis, legislation is already in preparation to make some form of certification mandatory in some jurisdictions – e.g. Florida – and it seems only a matter of time before some form of official authorisation to work is required in all jurisdictions.

Do your own research into the most valuable type of Paralegal Qualification based on your own qualifications and experience, paying particular attention to the rules and practices of the jurisdiction that governs work in that part of the country where you intend to seek employment.

UK – EDUCATION
In the UK a range of courses ranging from distance learning BTEC programs through to full time university courses exist. Additionally, for those with some related educational qualifications or prior work experience ‘Approved Prior Learning’ (APL) and ‘Approved Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning’ (APEL) programs exist to give credits or even exemptions from parts of the course. In some cases it may even be possible to have a previous educational qualification retrospectively recognised towards a paralegal qualification.

UK- QUALIFICATION
In the UK Paralegals are ‘self-regulated’, and can choose to become Licensed on a voluntary basis but this ‘licensing’ doe not have any legal standing.

SUMMARY
So, in summary, there is a lack of universally recognised education and qualification for anyone seeking to become a paralegal. Consequently anyone wishing to embark on becoming a paralegal really has to begin by deciding which jurisdiction they wish to practice in. Based on this decision it is then possible to research the current criteria for gaining employment within that jurisdiction, and then subsequently choosing an educational (or ‘qualifying work experience) program with which to be seen to meet those criteria.

Paralegal Degrees – What is a Paralegal, pt 2

Although there is no definition of Paralegal that applies across all jurisdictions, a Paralegal may be considered someone who is not a lawyer but works with the law. Further, it is generally the case across all jurisdictions that a Paralegal is not allowed set fees, nor to give legal advice. These differentiations even apply to graduates of the leading Paralegal Schools, even if they have one of the ABA approved paralegal degrees, or graduated from one of the other ABA approved paralegal courses.

On a more ethereal level, Lawyers tend to work more ‘across the board’ whereas a Paralegal tends to work more in a particular ‘niche’, and that a Lawyer works more at a strategic level, whereas Paralegals tend to work on individual tasks.

Beyond these differences, and with one major caveat, Paralegals are free to undertake most types of work normally considered to be the preserve of lawyers in most jurisdictions. That caveat being that in jurisdictions such as California, a Paralegal is prohibited from providing a service directly to the consumer. In California a Paralegal can only undertake work under the direct supervision of a Licensed Attorney.

It would be easy to think that the majority of Paralegals work within the legal system. However in many jurisdictions Paralegals have roles in government, business, finance and also the voluntary sector. In fact, in the UK it is estimated that 90 % of the estimated half million Paralegals work out with the legal system. Paralegals work as Health & Safety Officers, Contract Managers, Company Secretaries, Prosecution Case Workers, and Insurance Claims Officers

Jobs related to, or confused with, Paralegal Jobs

Notary Public
A notary public is an office recognised in law, essentially to do with the administration and documentation of non contentious aspects of the law, such as estates and commerce. NPs perform such tasks as administering oaths, taking formal statements, and witnessing and authenticating legal documents. In US Paralegals are often also notaries public, however in the UK a Notaries must be a qualified lawyer.

Legal Document Assistants
A Legal Document Assistant is someone who is not a lawyer, but is authorised in the state of California to prepare Legal Instruments.

Legal Nurse Consultants
A Legal Nurse Consultant is someone who is first and foremost a nurse, who advises lawyers on nursing and healthcare issues, normally relating to litigation cases.
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Paralegal Degrees – What is a paralegal?

At this point in time, not everyone working as a Paralegal has obtained one of the associate or bachelor Paralegal Degrees available from the 1000 or so Paralegal Schools in US, or approved Paralegal Schools in the UK and other countries . However, with the continued increase of people seeking work as paralegals and the likely increase in regulation, it seems only a matter of time before anyone seeking work as a paralegal will have to have completed at least one of the available Paralegal Courses. For those new to this expanding sector, this article provides an overview of what a paralegal is, and what business sectors are the biggest employers of paralegals.

The term Paralegal describes someone who does legal work but is not a lawyer, and refers to a new but rapidly growing area of employment. Paralegal is more of a job classification than it is a job title – those who consider themselves as a paralegals much more likely to have a job title such as ‘Investigator’, ‘Officer’, ‘Assessor’ or ‘Manager’.

There is no universally accepted formal definition of the role of a Paralegal – at the last count the wikipedia entry quoted six alternative definitions, whereas the UK Institute of Paralegals (IoP) site offers a further two alternatives – but essentially a Paralegal is someone who is not a lawyer, but uses the law in their everyday work, and has substantive knowledge of the area of the law in which they operate.

Paralegals tend to have a very deep knowledge of a particular area of law, rather than a less deep but more wide-ranging understanding that a lawyer may typically possess. The paralegal may monitor, apply, administer, interpret or enforce the law, and in certain cases advise on it. Additionally, a paralegal’s knowledge will normally also extend to the ethics, risks and regulations associated with the application of law in their area of specialisation.

Not everyone other than lawyers who work with the law is a paralegal – many people work in the legal system are not paralegals, and many paralegals do not work for either for law firms or in the justice system. For instance, a Solicitor’s Receptionist is not a paralegal, neither is a Court Usher although both work within the legal system. Alternatively, others, such as Contracts Manager or Claims Assessor maybe Paralegals but work entirely out with the legal profession.

Indeed, in the US BLS figures suggest 70% of Paralegals work for Law firms, with the other 30% working for government and business. With different regulation in the UK the figures are completely opposite. In the UK it is estimated that of half a million Paralegals, only 10% work for law firms, with the other 90% working in government, both Local and Central; for government related services and institutions such as the Armed Forces, the Police, the Fire Service, and health care; or they may work in Education, Finance, Business, Insurance and the voluntary sector.

Paralegal Degrees – paving the way

In the US today there are around 1000 paralegal schools offering paralegal degrees and other ABA approved paralegal courses. In the UK there around 500,000 people doing paralegal jobs. However, the idea of paralegals being accepted by legal establishment is still relatively new. One of the companies that paved the way for the acceptance of paralegals is the Canadian company POINTTS. POINTTS is ‘Canada’s original and the world’s biggest and most successful independent traffic ticket agency.’

One of the most numerous classes of ‘offence’ in modern any society is that of minor traffic violation. Anyone charged with a minor traffic offence requires either to admit guilt, or a challenge Police’s case in court. Most ‘offenders’ are intimidated by the thought of court protocol and procedures and consequently are put off defending themselves. At the same time the relatively low penalties involved negate the cost of employing a lawyer to provide a defence. At the same time most lawyers, by their own admission, don’t want to be employed in this relatively minor and unglamorous area of the justice system. So, ‘caught between the devil and the deep blue sea’ most people simply choose to pay the fine and take any licence penalty ‘on the chin’.

In 1985 a 15 year police veteran realised that he knew far and away more than most about traffic court protocol and procedures than most, and also in the best tradition of ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ he also new a great deal about the prosecution of traffic offences. He found himself ideally suited to operate in the defence of others in this very specific niche area of legal system, and began POINTTS to offer an economic alternative to employing a lawyer in defence of minor traffic offences in Canada.

The Law Society challenged POINTTS right to operate in this area, and after numerous challenges, POINTTS right to conduct business was finally cleared by the Canadian courts in 1987.

Now, more than 20 years later POINTTS success continues. It now has more than 30 offices across Canada with nearly 50 Paralegals providing a service to the Canadian public.

Paralegal Degrees

There are Associate and Bachelor Paralegal Degrees, there are Certified Paralegals and Registered Paralegals, and there are some paralegals with none of these qualifications – which qualifications are most widely accepted? In the US alone, approximately 1000 Paralegal Schools offer upwards of 250 approved Paralegal Courses- are they all equal in value to every employer?

For anyone setting out to become a Paralegal and get into one of the fastest growing employment sectors, it pays to know the top Paralegal Schools, which are the best Paralegal Courses, and which Paralegal Degrees open doors with the most employers.