You can train to be a respected paralegal at some of the best paralegal schools in the US and Canada. There are a variety of paralegal courses available throughout North America where you can learn to be a professional paralegal, but what exactly will you learn?
Paralegal schools can prepare you for a legal career assisting attorneys and judges in the day-to-day routine duties of the court. You may be able to specialize in one or more aspects of the paralegal profession, such as tax laws, real estate laws, child custody cases, criminal cases, and many others. But, in general, you will be required to have an overall knowledge of law practices and courtroom procedures with the goal of helping legal processes to proceed smoothly.
Whether your ultimate goal is to work for an independent law firm or a government agency, the top paralegal schools will give you a thorough paralegal education to qualify you for a new career. Lawyers often rely on paralegals to help prepare legal arguments, draft motions and pleas, manage individual cases, and assist in the courtroom. Legal and paralegal schools teach paralegals how to help attorneys prepare for a courtroom hearing or trial by researching the facts about a case and investigating the laws that pertain. In addition to a general education, a paralegal course will cover legal terminology and documents, legal software applications, and other related topics.
There are several levels of paralegal education available, beginning with simple professional certification or an Associate of Arts degree in paralegal (AA-P). Either would be great for an entry-level paralegal position. Those who wish to expand their paralegal training can obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in paralegal (BS-P) or Bachelor of Arts - Paralegal (BA-P). If your ultimate goal is to become a legal administrator, such as a court clerk, you may wish to continue your legal studies to obtain a Master of Arts in Paralegal (MA-P) and Master of Science in Paralegal (MS-P) degree.
Graduates of paralegal schools are eligible to take the National Association of Legal Assistants Exam (NALA) to become Certified Legal Assistants (CLAs). With two years of relevant paralegal experience and a minimum of a bachelor's degree in paralegal, you may take the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam to become a Registered Paralegal (RP). Starting salaries for paralegals are in the range of $40,000 - $60,000, depending on experience and level of education.
To find out how you can learn to be a paralegal, we urge you to contact paralegal schools on SchoolsGalore.com today.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Bustamante
