Paralegal Education and Paralegal Training - Becoming a Paralegal - Page 3 of 3

There is an added bonus to having attorneys instruct paralegal students. Though you will have no experience once you receive your degree, you will have references from attorneys. They are a direct link into the legal field. Though this will not make you a sure hire on your first interview, the attorney/instructors will give you many leads towards employment and be able to testify to your ability to grasp legal language and application. (You should also keep this in mind during your classes. It is never too early to show professionalism and ability.) The ultimate value of a paralegal is her/his performance.

3. Find out the employment rate of past students and the ability to contact them.

Becoming a paralegal in the workforce is a task that depends upon ability and perseverance. Working as a paralegal, you often have to “pay your dues”. No attorney will look at your grades and say, “You are smart. I want you to come work for me for an upper 5-figure salary. When can you start?” By having contact with former students of the school you wish to attend, you will have access to the learning curve they experienced when searching for employment in their field. They will help you to identify the things you should concentrate on while attending college. Schools need this kind of feedback from paralegals in the business.

Basically, a school should have good connections to the legal community. To bolster its paralegal program, they should have placement programs and former students to be able to lend advice to students pursuing the degree.

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