Types of Paralegal Certificate Programs

There are many types of paralegal certificates offered through numerous educational programs. Two year colleges and vocational schools may offer certificates of completion, or Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees. Larger universities may offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal or Paralegal studies. Some educational institutions offer a post-baccalaureate certificate program.

Your career goals, current career situation, and past level of education are some of the factors that will determine which type of program is right for you. For instance, if you have already earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, then you may choose to earn your post-baccalaureate certificate.

In addition, you will also want to take into account the time and money that will be necessary to complete any paralegal certificate program. If you are happily employed at a law firm and are choosing to earn your certificate for a promotion, then you may want to earn a certificate of completion that can be done in one year, rather than invest four years to earn your Bachelor of Arts degree. It will be up to you to determine which type of paralegal certificate program is best for your specific situation.

On-Site or Online Paralegal Programs.

On-site paralegal programs are offered at local community or junior colleges, vocational schools, and 4-year universities. These types of programs require you to attend physical classes and go to school on their regular school calendar. Depending on the program, completion may take anywhere from one to four years.

Attending on onsite paralegal certificate programs has its advantages. You will be able to meet other students who have chosen the same career path as you. You will be able to interact with professors who have worked as paralegals, and are therefore able to give real world advice. Also, if professors are still involved in the legal world, you may be able make connections and gain references. Most certificate programs offer internships where you will be able to work at local law firms or corporations. These local internships will give you hands-on experience in a legal environment, and the connections that can be made through an internship can prove to be valuable in the future. If you do not have any legal experience, then taking a few classes at a local college, rather than paying upfront for an entire online certificate program, can help you decide if becoming a paralegal is right for you.

While an online paralegal certificate programs offer many of these same advantages, it might not be as easy to make the personal connections over the web as it is in person.

The potential drawback of onsite paralegal programs is that you are regulated to the classes that are offered each semester, meaning there might not be a way to complete your training program as soon as you'd like because you are only able to take the classes that are currently being offered. This may not be a huge setback if you are currently employed and are going to school part-time with no timeline as to when you want to complete the program, but if you are attempting to complete your certificate program in the shortest amount of time possible, then you may discover that it might not be fast enough for you.

Online paralegal certificate programs allow you to study and learn at your own pace and on your own time. If you are working full-time or have other obligations, then attending an online paralegal program may be right for you. Online programs may also be ideal if your employer is requesting that you earn a paralegal certificate for a promotion or increase in pay, because an online program will usually take less time than an onsite certificate program. Some online programs take as little as six months to complete, but be sure to speak to the online school representatives to find out all you can about what their particular program entails.

Find the best online paralegal program to fit your individual needs.

ABA-approved Paralegal Programs

Paralegal programs may or may not be approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), which is another factor that you should consider in your school selection. The programs that have been ABA-approved have gone through a lengthy application process where they are required to present the ABA with detailed program information and have an onsite scheduled visit by ABA representatives to ensure that the program is up to ABA standards.

While some law firms and companies may value an ABA-approved training program, it is important to remember that just because a school does not have ABA-approval does not mean that the school is not reputable. The ABA-approval process is long and expensive, so just because a program does not have the ABA stamp of approval, does not mean that they have a stamp of disapproval either.

It is important to do your own due diligence when looking into the different paralegal certificate programs. You should prepare your research of different programs by creating a list of questions that will help you to decide.

• Does the school offer career guidance upon graduation?
• How did past graduates fare after the completion of the program?
• How does one program's curriculum compare to another program's curriculum?
• Does the paralegal certificate program offer internships for credit?

In addition to the questions that you may develop for your individual situation, it may be beneficial to also consider what employers in your area are looking for in paralegal candidates.

Check out the local classifieds in your area and see what type of education and experience employers are requiring. Check out the websites of local firms and companies that you might be interested in to see if they have paralegal job postings that you can peruse to gain some insight into what would make you, as a candidate, competitive in the job market.

Paralegal Programs
Find the right online Paralegal or Legal Studies degree program to fit your individual needs.