Surprisingly, but after nearly 5 decades the paralegal profession still has no certification requirements. Although not required, certification does offer a competitive advantage to those that have the credentials behind their name. It helps primarily when it comes to securing a job and for that reason and because a high percentage of paralegals coming into the field today are graduates from some either a community college or university; a good percentage of graduates are taking the time to pass one of the many readily available certification tests, shortly after graduation.

Key factors to keep in mind when evaluating the quality of any paralegal program:

1. Paralegal courses should teach usable job skills along with the underlying legal theory. The paralegal schools curriculum should also cover torts, contracts, legal writing and legal research, ethics and litigation. Paralegal courses should be geared towards developing students’ communication skills, their critical thinking and their skill set in dealing with ethical issues. Paralegal degree programs should also include a way to gain experience such as an internship, clinical experience or practicum.

2. Who are the individuals making up the faculty and the administration of the paralegal school you are looking to attend? Does the curriculum program director have a law degree or minimally have they had solid field experience along with an advanced degree in some aspect of paralegal education? Are the instructors considered to be “experts” in their sphere of influence as a result of their field experience and educational background?

3. Distance learning, also called online learning is becoming all the rage but is getting your paralegal degree or paralegal certificate from an online paralegal school right for you? Online learning is clearly different than traditional campus based learning but regardless of how the information is delivered (i.e. interactive video, tele-courses, etc.) the student / teacher interaction isn’t the same. Plus, online learning takes more self-discipline and motivation than campus learning and you have to make the determination that you have what it takes to complete the assignments.

Unquestionably, exploring a paralegal career isn’t for every Tom, Dick or Harry or Sally or Susie for that matter but for those individuals that yearn to dip their toe into the field of law, and still enjoy the status and professional satisfaction of a law career without having to attend law school for 4 years, then becoming a paralegal is your ticket.