Types of Program for Paralegal EducationWritten by Sara Jenkins
By background aspect, paralegals, also known as legal assistants, are those individuals who render assistance to lawyers in delivering legal services. Unless directed by their superior, they cannot practice or give legal advice to clients. For most states, this act is punishable or can be imposed with equivalent penalty to those persons caught in an unauthorized practice of law. By concise definition provided by National Association of Legal Assistants, legal assistants or paralegals, are a distinguishable group of persons who assist attorneys in delivery of legal services. A paralegal is qualified by his or her formal education, substantial trainings and experience in related practice, possessing extensive knowledge or expertise in field of legal system and procedural law. Necessity of legal assistants were started in 1960’s when practitioners and law firms decided it was high time to obtain assistance to improve efficiency and cost effective delivery of legal services. Later on, demands were still growing dramatically because of incessant increase in workload of lawyers basically because of equivalent upsurge of legal remedy-seekers. Because of mounting of paralegal necessity in field, different paralegal programs were provided by paralegal schools. Each paralegal school provides special courses in paralegal studies. Aside from paralegal studies, a paralegal has certain minimum requirements to meet that include paralegal training. Paralegal trainees receive adequate and reasonable instructions from lawyers or attorneys. Paralegal education programs are offered in several types of formats and lengths. An individual can have paralegal program of Associate degree, which also has options for students to choose from a two-year paralegal program, or four-year degree. A paralegal bachelor degree program is different from 4-year paralegal associate program in sense that bachelor programs were offered by 4-year colleges and universities and that student were awarded with a baccalaureate degree at end of program. Also, this type of paralegal program allows students to earn units both from minor, major, and major concentration in paralegal and related courses. Paralegal certificate programs grant an additional paralegal certificate to those who already earned paralegal degree. Another advanced degree in paralegal studies is paralegal master’s degree programs. Paralegal colleges and paralegal universities offer this paralegal program for an additional enhancement in student’s legal administration and legal studies expertise.
| | What are the Benefits of Paralegal Certification Written by Sara Jenkins
When you see persons assisting lawyers or attorneys within bounds of legal work, these might be legal assistants or more commonly called as paralegals. For their superior lawyer or attorney’s benefit, paralegals conduct research (library and in field). Researches often include conduction of interviews to people who may be relevant subject to case. After enough data has collected, these findings were immediately composed into clearer version of legal documentation and will be presented to lawyer with addition of analyses, and estimation of finding’s relevance to case. Paralegal proficiency is often enhanced by assistant’s exposure and experience with legal industry. As paralegal profession has no other academic requirements, a host of paralegal education and paralegal programs are being offered in industry. A diverse path has taken these paralegal professionals into their careers. These paths are paralegal certification programs, which may be offered through varying levels of education (paralegal two-year associate programs, four-year bachelor’s degree programs). Paralegal certificates can also be obtained through completion of paralegal basic certification programs (some of basic paralegal certification program can be completed in just a matter of months. These mentioned paralegal program certifications are basically stepping-stone to pursue more advanced career in paralegal profession. In a paralegal class, students will have many opportunities to develop their basic know-how in paralegal skills. Paralegal certifications are also offered in industry to hone legal assistant’s expertise in their own field. As time ages, all kinds of law firms have increased their clienteles seeking their aid in response to their respective cases. As law firm’s clients have grown into a surprising large number, lawyers and attorneys cannot handle alone their responsibilities. And so, paralegal assistants are now conveyed with more comprehensive and complicated tasks. Whereas before, certain task of lawyers are handled by lawyers themselves but now may be considered as entirely different. With paralegal certification programs waiting for students to take advantage of paralegal courses it can offer, duties of lawyers are narrowed down because these are being relayed to paralegals.
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