We are drawn to legal battles for some reason, and those involve a number of different roles – lawyers, judges, criminals, witnesses . . . and whether you realize it or not, the paralegal.
This is a profession that is becoming increasingly necessary in today's legal environment and that requires training in the nation's best programs in paralegal studies.
In previous decades, paralegals received on-the-job training. As the profession grew, the formalized education took the form of Associate of Science programs, which offered training primarily in areas of specific interest to paralegal practice. But the bar has officially been raised!
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What kind of Paralegal Studies Degree should you get?
Today, the standard for training is a four-year bachelor's degree from a community college or a traditional university. There, students are exposed not only to legal training in particular but also to courses in, say, communication, business, and economics—all helpful topics for a legal professional.
An additional marker that is becoming increasingly important is American Bar Association accreditation. Not all schools feature this, but the ones that do are proud of it . . . and rightly so! Be sure to keep this designation in mind as you research your options.
Some programs are also offering their programs online. For more information, see our ranking of the Best Online Paralegal Studies Degrees.
How much money do people make with a Paralegal Studies Degree?
Starting salaries for paralegals are deceptively low at between $27,000 and $32,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. This will vary according to what skills you bring to the table and also who you're working for.
However, the U.S. Department of Labor also predicts that the paralegal profession will be one of the fastest-growing occupations in the near future…so there is reason to expect that wages will grow as well!
What can you do with a Paralegal Studies Degree?
One of the reasons for the growth in the paralegal profession is that paralegals are increasingly being asked to perform legal duties traditionally performed by licensed attorneys. As the amount of legal work increases, attorneys are increasingly reliant on paralegals for much of what they do.
Examples of tasks a paralegal might perform include but are hardly limited to the following:
Fact evaluation and investigation
Contract preparation
Client interviews
Case management
Legal research
Exhibit preparation
Real estate transactions
What are the requirements for a Paralegal Studies Degree?
In addition to whatever requirements a particular bachelor's program in paralegal studies might require, paralegals will need to seek certification through one of three nationally recognized paralegal professional organizations:
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
The Association for Legal Professionals (NALS)
Each organization has its own certifications as well as its own requirements. Be sure to do your homework on what organizations work best in your home state or the state you plan to work in!
What are the best Paralegal Studies Degrees?
We've compiled a list of the top 25 bachelor's degrees in paralegal studies with you and your needs in mind. Here's how we did it. First, we located the best programs in the country by taking an objective look at the best schools in the country as measured by reputation and return on investment.
Then we looked at the bottom line—how much does it cost? We combined these factors to reach our College Choice Score, which determined where each school fits into the big scheme of things.
Our data for this ranking was drawn from a variety of public sources, such as U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics, PayScale.com, and the U.S. Census. The end result is a list of schools that not only represent the best education you can get and a good return on investment but also one that will fit your budget.
Case dismissed!
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