ZipRecruiter, an online employment forum/marketplace for potential hirees and hirers,
says one road to a job as a paralegal features these mileposts: Do an American Bar
Association-sanctioned paralegal certification program. Get guidance from someone
in the legal field. Join a networking group(s) to build contacts. Find an entry-level
position at a law firm, be it legal secretary or file clerk. And apply for an opening
there or elsewhere once you鈥檝e proved yourself. So, can you become a paralegal with no job experience as a paralegal? The short answer is yes and no. Keep reading for the long answer.
Laying the Foundation for a Career as a Paralegal
Even without any time on the job as a new paralegal, you can begin your career, but there is a bit of currency you will need to buy the 鈥減aralegal鈥� label 鈥� experiences you will have to bank to make that buy.
Becomeaparalegal.org, which notes that there鈥檚 no legal requirement for certification
or licensing in the profession, shares a 鈥渢o develop skills in accordance with the established core competencies and gain
the credentials employers are looking for when hiring a paralegal.鈥� Here鈥檚 the abridged
version of the plan:
1. Get Schooled
Paralegal schooling should, preferably, follow guidelines offered by three professional groups, the American Bar Association (ABA), the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), and the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). Here are the three groups鈥� base requirements:
- ABA recommends paralegal programs at the associate and bachelor鈥檚 degree level and/or business or proprietary school programs.
- AAfPE deems a person qualified for paralegal work if they are paralegal-credentialed through an associate, bachelor鈥檚, or master鈥檚 degree program or otherwise earn paralegal certification.
- NALA says you鈥檙e ready for service as a paralegal if you have a bachelor鈥檚 in any
field and six months of in-house paralegal training; three or more years of in-house
training under an attorney, including at least six months of paralegal training; or
at least two years of in-house training as a paralegal.
2. Get Some Professional Experience
The academic path to becoming a paralegal almost always includes an internship with a law firm or something akin to one. Becomeaparalegal.org lists seven paralegal jobs that are .
notes that volunteer work with, for instance, nonprofit legal organizations and entry-level jobs at law firms, courts, or groups that have paralegals on staff can help you earn the 鈥減aralegal鈥� title.
That experience also can guide you to the niche in the paralegal profession that suits
your skills and personality. Want a job in a corporate, medical, government, real
estate, or court setting? They鈥檙e available, along with careers in other settings.
3. Get Certified
As already noted, there are no state regulatory requirements governing the profession. A variety of reputable voluntary credentials are available. These all require completion of a formal certification program and/or in-house experience to sit for their exams:
- NALA offers a Certified Paralegal credential, which requires completion of the Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) exam.
- NALS 鈥� The Association for Legal Professionals offers the Professional Paralegal (PP) credential, which requires completion of the PP exam.
- American Alliance of Paralegals Inc. (AAPI) offers the American Alliance Certified Paralegal (AACP) credential.
- National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), which offers two certification paths:
- A CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP) credential that requires completion of the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam (PCCE)
- A PACE Registered Paralegal (RP) credential that requires completion of the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination (PACE)
Becomeaparalegal.org says 91社区, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio are among states
with competency examinations offered with the cooperation of bar and paralegal associations.
4. Pick a Path and Find a Job
You know you want to be a paralegal. Do you know what kind? We鈥檝e cited the various settings where you can find paralegals, from corporate and medical to government and nonprofit.
You also need to think about specialties, particularly if you鈥檙e gunning for a job with a law firm. Do you want to work for a firm that specializes in criminal law? Environmental law? Civil rights? Entertainment? The environment? Family law? The list goes on 鈥� and on.
Keep that in mind when you鈥檙e looking for internships and entry-level positions that
could lead to your shot at being a paralegal.
Expert Advice on How to Get Hired
Paralegal411 shares a truly of advice from professionals for students on the verge of graduating who want jobs as paralegals. Here are 10 bullet points gleaned from the list:
- 鈥淢y advice is networking鈥� and 鈥淣etwork, network, network鈥� are the opening sentences of the first two entries.
- 鈥淛oin your local paralegal association NOW.鈥�
- 鈥淏e honest about your skills.鈥� And be thorough about the skills you have that are applicable to the job, from digital expertise to personality traits.
- Thoroughly research the employers you target, and fine-tune your r茅sum茅 for each target.
- 鈥淔ind the area of law that is your passion.鈥�
- Always be willing to learn and adapt.
- Work on your communication skills. 鈥淯p to 80% of your day is spent communicating with others鈥�
- Know your tech tools. 鈥淧aralegals must master word processing, spreadsheet, telecommunications, database, presentation and legal research software.鈥�
- Being organized matters. 鈥淎ttorneys rely on paralegals to keep them organized as well as their files.鈥�
- Be a team player. 鈥淓veryone has to work together to achieve and complete a common
goal.鈥�
Still Want to Be a Paralegal? USF Can Help
The USF Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education (CTPE) has a blog, Career Charge, that includes articles for aspiring and established paralegals. You can learn how to expand your professional social network, explore the benefits of becoming a paralegal, learn why writing skills really matter, and much more.
On the academic side, our Paralegal Certification Program is designed by experts for those who want to start or advance a career. If you鈥檙e shopping for certification, consider a few of our program鈥檚 selling points. You can:
- Learn from a distinguished faculty of sitting judges.
- Finish the on-campus program in 13 weeks, or opt for the online program and take up to six months to finish it 鈥� when and where you choose.
- Take advantage of open-enrollment registration, with no application required.