How Long Does It Take To Be A Paralegal
How long does it take to be a paralegal?
How long does it take to be a paralegal? Before knowing this, one needs to know what exactly Paralegal work all is about. Paralegals are professionals who are qualified to assist lawyers in various legal aspects research and clerical aspects of their jobs. This is a much more reputable and entitled with many more duties than that of the lower line clerical work. Paralegals are authorized to manage the legal research, drafting documents, managing and handling of cases. Many a times Paralegals are often assigned with the kind of case handling as a professional lawyer in their place would. Apart from the key essentials as communicational skills, oral skills to name a few there is a major training involved in order to pursue a career in Paralegal, which can be obtained in many ways than one. And how long does it take to be a Paralegal depends on the preferred choice of path to obtain it from. Most paralegal study programs vary from school to school. And so does the answer to the question as how long does it take to finish the required schooling in order to pursue an ideal career in paralegal.
Paralegals are also known as the legal assistants to the lawyer or the attorney. And in order to become a successful paralegal one needs to finish a challenging Paralegal training education program. And how long does it take to become a qualified one and start practicing depends entirely upon the field of specialization opted for. The paralegal study program involves studying about tax law, real estate law, business law, criminal law, finance law, to name a few. After having acquired the minimum knowledge of all the basic laws, one can choose the area of specialization based upon the interests. How long does it take to finish the chosen area of specialization training program? It can take from up to a minimum of few months to 4-5 years depending upon the level of certification. Few levels of training program with the time frame as to how long does it take to finish them are as follows:
Paralegal Certificate Training Program – This study program offers the level of certification to its aspiring paralegals that are opting for training as well as a job. And this can be applied for by the students who have earned a Bachelor’s degree. And how long does this take? This program takes anywhere from a few months to almost a year.
Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Study Program – As the name is self-explanatory it is a Paralegal study program that can be attained while studying your Bachelor’s degree program. As in, this is a Bachelor’s degree program that specializes in Paralegal. And how long does this specialized Bachelor’s degree program take to finish? This study program takes about 4 years of a Bachelor’s degree to be completed like any other Bachelor’s Program.
Associate Degree in Paralegal Study Program – This study program is considered as the base and foundation for the aspiring Paralegal’s. As this study program involves in the study of the basics of Paralegal. And how long does this foundation program last for? It takes about 2 years of additional study in order to pursue Paralegal as the ideal career option.