Many of the most influential paralegal professional organizations have roots in the American Bar Association and have played a major role in shaping the paralegal field we know today. One such organization is the AAfPE (the American Association for Paralegal Education) that focuses on serving the needs of the schools and the teachers within those schools that provide paralegal training programs. AAfPE’s stated main purpose is centered on providing high quality paralegal training, ongoing development of high quality education and in maintaining its’ role as the “go to” paralegal academics source.
Essential yardsticks to bear in mind when looking at any paralegal program:
1. Paralegal schools should educate students with the primary objective being to development the entire student. This needs to be done by teaching usable, sensible workforce skills alongside a solid core of legal theory. The curriculum should encompass topics like torts and legal contracts, legal writing and contracts, litigation and legal research. Organizational and communication skills must be developed in addition to a student’s capacity to think critically and apply the legal theory into real world situations. A high quality paralegal school will also provide the opportunity to learn through programs like an internship or clinical experience.
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. Is the tried and true campus classroom learning model best for you or is the so-called “modern” online training environment a better fit? An essential question that needs to be answered before you take the plunge and decide to pursue your paralegal degree via the online learning model. Another key question includes how you’ll receive the training. Will it be through web based courses or telecourses or interactive video or something else? Furthermore, one of the most important questions is very simple, “Can you learn online?”
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.
