Becoming A Paralegal
By: Rosa Tebault, CP
If you are contemplating a career as a paralegal, please consider this advice: before you invest in paralegal textbooks and training courses, take some time to determine you will be satisfied as a paralegal. I have taught paralegal training courses for several years and many of my students are pursuing the profession with a vague idea of what to anticipate when they are certified paralegals. It isn't a one-size-fits-all job and should be approached with the care involved in making any large commitment. Working in a law office as a legal assistant, file clerk, secretary, or in most any capacity allows you to experience the environment, identify potential stressors, or solidify your resolve to accomplish paralegal certification. It also is incredibly helpful to have some legal experience under your belt so paralegal courses have some context as you learn.
A paralegal career has potential to be rewarding and lucrative for anyone willing to apply themselves and stick with it. Some of the best aspects of the job include: helping people in a practical, hands-on way; varied and intellectually stimulating tasks; and attractive income - depending on your ambition and specialty.
Most paralegals don't live the romanticized life depicted in television shows and movies of the sharply-dressed, omnipotent paralegal who "cracks the case", gets all the credit and a big bonus check. The truth of the matter is that being a paralegal can be fun, but the job has challenges like any other job might. Below are several examples of challenges and factors to consider about the profession.
A paralegal needs to relate to people professionally and appropriately, regardless of the person's situation and demeanor. People usually seek legal advice when they've been wronged, or during times of tremendous stress and change; therefore, a paralegal must be prepared to work with people who are emotional or volatile. The paralegal must be able to balance professional behavior and appropriate boundaries with each client.
Another challenge common to law office work is compound deadlines. To keep cases moving forward with reasonable speed, there are numerous deadlines that come with each matter. It takes superior calendaring and planning to ensure, when multiple deadlines fall on the same date, every deadline is met. Even the best made plans can be hampered by surprises, so unplanned overtime or last minute rush-jobs may be required. This can dramatically raise the stress level in an office - and it is crucial to have the professionalism required to remain unflappable in the midst of the stress. It also is important to be flexible and available to work overtime when compound deadlines require it - so make sure you discuss the anticipated frequency of overtime before you accept any job offer to ensure you can meet the demands of the position.
My goal is to help you create some realistic expectations of paralegal work. If you already know you want to be a paralegal, this next section is for your encouragement.
Certified paralegals lend trust and dependability to the profession; attorneys and clients know they will receive high quality work that only experience and specialized training can bring. In my personal experience, my certification has increased my earning potential and career options. I have enjoyed working in sophisticated, large-size firms in metropolitan cities, earning a high salary, using the latest technology, and working on exciting cases. I've also enjoyed working from my home office, with a flexible schedule, relaxed dress code, no required overtime, and other perks that come from being my own boss. These options were all made possible in part by my certification.
The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) is the national certifying organization who can prepare you for the certification exam and who administers the exam. In order to become a certified paralegal, you must demonstrate knowledge in multiple areas, such as legal research, legal writing, human relations, ethics, judgment and analytical ability, and substantive law - as well as multiple practice area specialties.
Before you are entitled to sit for the certification exam, you must verify with NALA that you meet certain credentials in your work experience and formal education. The certification exam is comprehensive and consists of 2 full days of exams. Preparation is a must - according to NALA statistics, only 40% of applicants pass the full exam on the first sitting! I took the CLA Exam Preparation course through NALA and when taking the exam I found the review course to be more valuable than all my years of experience. I am certain I passed the exam on the first try thanks to the training and encouragement I received in the review course. All of my classmates at the NALA review course passed the exam as well, while other test-takers who didn't take the review course weren't able to pass.
Many employers funded the training and exam fees for my fellow test takers. There are many financial benefits to law firms for having certified paralegals, and I have provided links to articles detailing the benefits on the Resources page of this website. I recommend you review the articles and consider discussing them with your employer to demonstrate that funding your paralegal education will benefit both of you. You can also find information about exam requirements, the review course, the costs and benefits, and many other topics mentioned above at the NALA website: www.nala.org.
If you have any questions about becoming a paralegal, I'm happy to share my experiences with you. Please feel free to email me via my Contact page. I also will make many other links available on the Resources page to assist you in learning about the paralegal profession. You have my best wishes for a long and happy career!
Please click on the links at the top of the page for more information about Prudent Paralegal Services. Thank you for visiting my site. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Rosa Tebault, CP
