628Paralegal - Life Is a Bowl of Cherries
posted on November 20th, 2009
Clearly, the American Bar Association (ABA) has played a huge direct role in the development of the paralegal profession over its short history but it’s also played a cursory role, because most of the major paralegal professional organizations, in the land of opportunity, had their roots in the ABA. One influential paralegal organization is the American Association for Paralegal Education, an organization whose primary focus is that of helping paralegal schools and their instructors provide the most complete and highest quality paralegal training instruction possible. As a result, AAfPE has become the academic development resource for the field.
Intrinsic fundamental yardsticks to be aware of when assessing any paralegal program:
1. Top notch paralegal school curriculum consistently concentrates on teaching doable job skills along with essential supportive legal theory. The curriculum for paralegal degree programs should also incorporate all things from communication and organizational skills to torts, litigation and ethics. Of course, complete development of the student must a key objective that’s revolves around providing them with real-world experience and cultivating their critical thinking faculties.
2. Who are players behind the scenes? Who put the paralegal curriculum together and who is teaching it? Do the staff and the paralegal schools program director have top notch credentials? The paralegal teaching staff should have field experience in the subject they are teaching be considered an “expert” on that subject. The curriculum director should have an advanced degree in a related field at worst but preferably they have a law degree or a bunch of paralegal work experience and an advanced paralegal degree.
3. A broadening number of paralegal schools and universities have made their entire paralegal degree training programs available online. However, it’s recommended that before any wanna-be student signs up they find answers to a few important points. First, how will the material be delivered? Will all lectures be live interactive video or DVD tele-courses, or text-based with access via the web or a combination thereof? Also, because of the nature of the learning it takes much more self motivation and discipline to compete the work. Do you have what it takes to learn online?
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.