As many people already know, paralegals are important professionals in the legal arena. Although paralegals are not themselves lawyers, they perform legal tasks under the supervision of attorneys. Since paralegals can earn a respectable amount of money in many markets, individuals may wish to borrow money to attend paralegal school in order to have the best chance at landing a paralegal job. However, attending paralegal school with student loans should only be done in a limited number of circumstances.
It should first be noted that attending paralegal school is not required to become a paralegal. Generally, you simply need a college degree to become a paralegal, and some firms even hire paralegals who do not have college degrees. Paralegals usually do not need to be licensed in the same way as attorneys, so there is some flexibility about the qualifications that paralegals can have to assume their roles.
In fact some of the top firms in the country typically hire paralegals who merely have a college degree. These firms see paralegal positions as a transitional job for individuals thinking about law school, so many top firms do not even require much prior experience for their paralegals. In addition, some firms may wish to pay their paralegals as little money as possible, and they may look for someone who does not have paralegal training so that they can pay as little as possible for this work.
However, attending paralegal school is important for some firms. Certain shops see value in people who attend paralegal school, since such programs often teach individuals skills that will be useful in certain legal fields. Indeed, I attended one law firm at which attending paralegal school was basically a prerequisite to being a paralegal at that shop.
As a result, it is important to investigate firms in the area in which you want to work to see if attending paralegal school will help you. Current and former paralegals at such firms should be consulted to see if it would actually be helpful to attend a paralegal school. Do not take the school’s information as gospel, since they may inflate the employment statistics of paralegal programs in order to attract people to the school.
Once you determine that paralegal school will be helpful, it is important to think about finances. Paralegal schools rarely offer scholarships, so people usually need to pay for such instruction completely out-of-pocket. Although some people may be able to rely on savings or help from parents to pay for paralegal school, most people will need to borrow student loans to pay for paralegal school.
The first thing to know about attending paralegal school is that paralegal programs come in all shapes and sizes. Some paralegal programs are during the day like any other courses in college. Most paralegal studies programs have classes at night, since they expect that students will be working during the day and attending classes as night. Other paralegal programs are only on the weekends so that students have the most flexibility during the week to fulfill work and personal obligations.
Paralegal programs can be costly. Although expenses vary, it can usually cost a low five-figure sum to complete a paralegal program. In addition, most paralegal programs simply offer a certificate rather than a Master’s degree or some other similar credential. However, there are a few things you can keep in mind to reduce the amount of money you pay while attending paralegal school.
For one, it rarely makes sense to attend an elite school that has a paralegal program which charges more than other programs. Even if you complete a paralegal program, you will not earn a degree under most circumstances from that school, so you won’t be considered an alum in the traditional sense. In addition, the brand of attending a prestigious school may not get you far in the job market.
As a result, it often makes sense to attend cheaper state schools, community colleges, or other similar programs to earn a paralegal certificate. Firms are usually just looking for people who know the skills that can be acquired in a paralegal program. As a result, it makes sense to attend the most affordable university possible to earn a paralegal credential.
In addition, it rarely makes sense to attend a paralegal program full-time, and it usually makes sense to attend the program while working. Paralegal credentials can usually be earned in less than a year even without a full-time caseload, so individuals can usually attend such a program while working most jobs without breaking a sweat. By attending school at the same time as working a job, you can earn your credential while making money that can be used to offset living expenses and educational costs. Since lowering student loans is a major consideration when choosing an educational program, individuals should try to seek some kind of employment while attending paralegal school.
In the end, being a paralegal can be a lucrative and enriching experience. Paralegals often work on interesting matters, and do not need to spend the time and money to attend law school, take the bar exam, and complete other tasks to be a practicing attorney. However, certain considerations should be evaluated when determining if you should attend paralegal school and how to most minimize student loans once you are enrolled in a program.