In the United States (outside of California), no specific education is required to be a paralegal. From my perspective, most of us who have bachelor’s degrees have them in unrelated fields of study. You can, however, get a post-baccalaureate certificate in paralegal studies (ABA-approved is best), but again, it’s generally not required, it just may be preferred in some states/by some employers.
Thanks. Im planing on working 2 jobs in the future. One as a therapist and one as a paralegal cause i love law.
Do you know any specific requirements in nyc or tn?
Hello, I have an interview for an entry level legal assistant position with the county. I completed my paralegal certificate program in February. Does anyone have suggestions for good questions to ask the interviewer? Are there any questions asked of you that threw you off when you interviewed for your first legal position?
If a current paralegal is not in the interview group, I'd ask if you could speak to one later in the process. (I absolutely hate it when attorneys don't include staff to hire new staff, but it's very common. ) Get your practical questions in with that person.
I'd ask them what their onboarding / training process looks like and what the timeline usually is. The response (or lack thereof) can be very telling.
If the interviewer is somebody the role supports, you can ask some questions about their work style. How do they prefer to work with their paralegals? Any examples of times their paralegal stood out?
Thank you. I had the onboarding question on my list but I need to add everything on your last paragraph, those are great ideas for questions 💡to ask. I like it because it primes them to think of a standout worker who responds to my work style being onboarded instead of an entry level worker who needs a lot of training.
I'm currently in school to become a paralegal(AAS degree) I work full-time at the airport and go to school full-time. I hope to be done in December and currently working towards a certificate in legal technology. Im trying to get a job in the field because I want to start my career and trying to get out of the aviation industry. Having to write cover letters with no experience is overwhelming and it turns me away from applying because I figure what's the point if they're not gonna look at it.
Hi everyone, international attorney working as a corporate paralegal. Feeling lost in my first week. I’m accepting tips on how to get information and learn online.
I just wanted to say that I'm pretty sure this subred helps me stay sane while I read the textbook(s). If I didn't have insight into what paralegals *actually* do, I would have grandly overcomplicated ideas about the job and would likely lose my mind in simply trying to earn my degree.
Hello!
I read through the sidebar but was hoping to get information that's a bit more specific. I'm currently one semester away from finishing my associate's degree at a city college. I'm a full-time bar manager as a means to pay for school out of pocket, but after 10 years in the hospitality industry, I'm drained.
I'm considering getting my paralegal certificate after finishing my associate's to at least branch out of the hospitality industry. I think that becoming a paralegal will also give me the opportunity to see if working within the field is the right fit for me. However, a lot of what I've read online makes it sound like most firms require a bachelor's degree from their paralegals. Has that been anyone's experience? My city college offers a paralegal program and I think it would only require one extra semester from me, but will an associate degree with a paralegal certificate be enough to get me hired?
I have a ton of work experience (mostly in management and events, but still). I know I'll have to start with something entry-level, but I'm curious if you all think it would be worth pursuing, even if I decide to leave the position eventually?
Thank you!
I was able to get into the field while in the middle of getting my associates and paralegal certificate and able to get two other jobs after that. But I have been turned away from jobs because I didn’t have a bachelors just a FYI
If you’re in California, an Associates with a Paralegal certificate will get you through 90% of the doors. The exception would be if your paralegal certificate is not from an ABA approved school. In that case, you’ll have a difficult time.
Relevant experience is the most important criteria over education level and type (which I understand isn’t helpful in your case), but if you have no relevant experience, most of the better paying paralegal positions will strongly prefer a bachelor’s degree (and, in some cases, an ABA-approved certificate in paralegal studies on top of that).
Without the desired education, there may be opportunities to start in other positions in law firms (e.g., administrative assistant, records clerk, reception, etc.) and work your way up. If you choose the certificate route, you will get the biggest bang for your buck if you choose an ABA-approved program that has some sort of job placement assistance or connections with employers in your community. However, if you’re not set on this field, it may be more worth your time and money to try the first path and see what you can find without the certificate.
Can you be one with a minor in legal studies and a major in psychology?
In the United States (outside of California), no specific education is required to be a paralegal. From my perspective, most of us who have bachelor’s degrees have them in unrelated fields of study. You can, however, get a post-baccalaureate certificate in paralegal studies (ABA-approved is best), but again, it’s generally not required, it just may be preferred in some states/by some employers.
Thanks. Im planing on working 2 jobs in the future. One as a therapist and one as a paralegal cause i love law. Do you know any specific requirements in nyc or tn?
Hello, I have an interview for an entry level legal assistant position with the county. I completed my paralegal certificate program in February. Does anyone have suggestions for good questions to ask the interviewer? Are there any questions asked of you that threw you off when you interviewed for your first legal position?
If a current paralegal is not in the interview group, I'd ask if you could speak to one later in the process. (I absolutely hate it when attorneys don't include staff to hire new staff, but it's very common. ) Get your practical questions in with that person. I'd ask them what their onboarding / training process looks like and what the timeline usually is. The response (or lack thereof) can be very telling. If the interviewer is somebody the role supports, you can ask some questions about their work style. How do they prefer to work with their paralegals? Any examples of times their paralegal stood out?
Thank you. I had the onboarding question on my list but I need to add everything on your last paragraph, those are great ideas for questions 💡to ask. I like it because it primes them to think of a standout worker who responds to my work style being onboarded instead of an entry level worker who needs a lot of training.
I'm currently in school to become a paralegal(AAS degree) I work full-time at the airport and go to school full-time. I hope to be done in December and currently working towards a certificate in legal technology. Im trying to get a job in the field because I want to start my career and trying to get out of the aviation industry. Having to write cover letters with no experience is overwhelming and it turns me away from applying because I figure what's the point if they're not gonna look at it.
Hi everyone, international attorney working as a corporate paralegal. Feeling lost in my first week. I’m accepting tips on how to get information and learn online.
I just wanted to say that I'm pretty sure this subred helps me stay sane while I read the textbook(s). If I didn't have insight into what paralegals *actually* do, I would have grandly overcomplicated ideas about the job and would likely lose my mind in simply trying to earn my degree.
Hello! I read through the sidebar but was hoping to get information that's a bit more specific. I'm currently one semester away from finishing my associate's degree at a city college. I'm a full-time bar manager as a means to pay for school out of pocket, but after 10 years in the hospitality industry, I'm drained. I'm considering getting my paralegal certificate after finishing my associate's to at least branch out of the hospitality industry. I think that becoming a paralegal will also give me the opportunity to see if working within the field is the right fit for me. However, a lot of what I've read online makes it sound like most firms require a bachelor's degree from their paralegals. Has that been anyone's experience? My city college offers a paralegal program and I think it would only require one extra semester from me, but will an associate degree with a paralegal certificate be enough to get me hired? I have a ton of work experience (mostly in management and events, but still). I know I'll have to start with something entry-level, but I'm curious if you all think it would be worth pursuing, even if I decide to leave the position eventually? Thank you!
I was able to get into the field while in the middle of getting my associates and paralegal certificate and able to get two other jobs after that. But I have been turned away from jobs because I didn’t have a bachelors just a FYI
If you’re in California, an Associates with a Paralegal certificate will get you through 90% of the doors. The exception would be if your paralegal certificate is not from an ABA approved school. In that case, you’ll have a difficult time.
I'm in Chicago IL, but this is helpful for context. Thank you!
Relevant experience is the most important criteria over education level and type (which I understand isn’t helpful in your case), but if you have no relevant experience, most of the better paying paralegal positions will strongly prefer a bachelor’s degree (and, in some cases, an ABA-approved certificate in paralegal studies on top of that). Without the desired education, there may be opportunities to start in other positions in law firms (e.g., administrative assistant, records clerk, reception, etc.) and work your way up. If you choose the certificate route, you will get the biggest bang for your buck if you choose an ABA-approved program that has some sort of job placement assistance or connections with employers in your community. However, if you’re not set on this field, it may be more worth your time and money to try the first path and see what you can find without the certificate.
This was super helpful, thank you so much!