It is true that many paralegals do not have a formal education. Some paralegals began their careers as legal secretaries. However, they spent several years as legal secretaries before advancing to the position of paralegal. Today, most law firms prefer a paralegal have an education. Lawyers work 60 to 70 hours per week and have little time to train a secretary in the duties of a paralegal.
The vast majority of paralegals earned a certificate or a degree in paralegal studies. Today, there are hundreds of online paralegal degree programs. Many potential paralegal students are leery of online programs. However, the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) endorses many of these programs. In fact, quite a few of these programs meet NALA requirements to sit for the paralegal certification exam.
If you are considering an online paralegal degree program, you will want to verify if the program is approved by NALA. Most community college programs are NALA approved and will indicate this in the college's literature.
Today, online degree programs are widely accepted. Many state colleges and universities have developed many online programs. In fact, many prestigious schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and MIT have online classes and degree programs.
Tuition for online degree programs is virtually the same as campus programs. The coursework and graduation requirements are identical. However, many online degree programs are quite expensive and the schools are not accredited. These programs are expensive and most do not approved by NALA.
If you want to earn an online paralegal studies degree, choose a school that is NALA approved. This ensures you will receive a proper education from a reputable online program. In addition, if you want to become certified, you must receive an education from a NALA approved program. However, to become certified you do not necessarily have to have a formal education. NALA has specific requirements for those paralegals that were trained on the job.
Earning a paralegal studies degree is not necessary unless you plan to continue your education in the future. Many paralegals will go on to earn their law degrees. If you do not plan to continue your education, a paralegal certificate will suffice. The average cost of a four-year education is $30,000 for tuition. The average cost of a 12-month paralegal certificate program is $4500.
Whether the cost of a degree is worth the investment largely depends on the area of the country where you will be working. For example, if you worked in Washington D.C., you may earn a salary of $75,000 per year at many prestigious law firms. However, if you worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico you may earn a salary of $38,000 per year.
A paralegal degree is worth the cost as long as it is from a NALA approved program. However, you can save a significant amount of money by choosing a NALA approved certificate program or opting for a two-year degree instead of a four-year degree. Ultimately, your career plans will be the deciding factor in you final choice of programs.
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