Saturday, May 5, 2007

Is Paralegal Education Necessary?

The level of education needed to become a paralegal depends the kind of paralegal work desired and the length of a paralegal career. A recent college graduate who wants to be a paralegal to get into law school may not want to seek additional training. A person wishing to become a career paralegal would benefit from the additional training.

Paralegals help make lawyers look organized. They typically sort, prepare, photocopy, and index documents, while also interviewing witnesses or conducting hearings. Most beginning paralegals should have a bachelor’s degree, according to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).

Roughly 50 percent of paralegals do, with about 25 percent having two-year associates degrees. However, trends indicate that most potential employers expect entry-level paralegals to have a four-year college degree. Any additional training a paralegal might have, whether it be in medicine, another science, or social work, will help a paralegal to specialize and possibly make more money.

Programs exist to train paralegals. NFPA recommends a formal paralegal education program, which approximately 84 percent of current paralegals have. Training programs consist of 24 semester hours in legal studies. NFPA offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam to establish and recognize high standards in the paralegal profession. In order to qualify for the exam, a paralegal must have a bachelor’s degree, have completed an accredited paralegal program, and have at least two years of paralegal experience. Paralegals who pass the exam are recognized professionally as a “PACE Registered Paralegal.”

For a small fee, a potential paralegal can obtain a directory of paralegal education programs from the NFPA.

The amount of training needed for a paralegal job can depend on the organization for which the paralegal will work. It may be useful to contact local law firms about their paralegal hiring practices. Some positions require a paralegal certificate, which requires additional training after a four-year degree program. Online directories allow registered users to search for hiring law firms, and most local libraries have a copy of Martindale Hubbell, an index of every lawyer in the country organized by city and law firm.

In general, the level of education needed to become a paralegal depends the kind of paralegal work desired and the length of a paralegal career. A recent college graduate, for example, who wants to be a paralegal in order to help her chances of getting into law school, may not want to seek additional training. A person wishing to become a career paralegal, on the other handFree Web Content, would benefit from the additional training.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paralegals provides detailed information about paralegal jobs, schools, training, courses, certificates, and services. For more information go to Paralegals and/or visit its sister site at Notary Public Web for related information.

Online Adult Education

The title of the article is "Clicking your way to an MBA-online classes in continuing education" which was published in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine in March of 1999. The author of the article is Marc. L. Schulhof, it was assessed on http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/

The main theme of the article is concerned with the online education for people who are seeking for a second degree, especially those in business fields. It concentrates on the description of a few professionals studying online and gives evidences of why it is a good way to learn and what perspectives this education line has in the future. It describes one professional Vince Sutera who decided to register for courses online. He is a new-business developer living in Chicago and looking for a decent school to give him specific knowledge in the project that is required for his work. That is when one of Philadelphia universities’ Wharton came handy with its direct course. It was extremely important for Vince to be able to squeeze in this course in his busy schedule, like for many professionals who are looking for a second education or specific course, being flexible in schedule is essential. By the time these people earn a second degree, most of them have families and full time jobs that are demanding huge amount of time and effort. The article was very informative in a sense of providing detailed information on how exactly the course and the schedule were designed. The description of the equipment that was present in the classroom was essential for the reader’s understanding of what exactly was provided with the purchase of the course. Moreover, it becomes clear that such course as from Wharton school allows students to actually hear and see the professor in real time, which is very important for learners in order to comprehend material better. It is noted in the article that a few years ago, such online courses were not interactive at all. The students received only videotaped lecture with the materials and had to study from that, without communicating with classmates or a lecturer. Nowadays this e-learning process is getting more and more perfected and students are fully immersed in the process, where they can participate answering and asking in real time. This system thus allows to be constantly prepared for the class in order to be able to answer when you are asked by the professor. Evident advantages of the online learning especially for adults are clearly described in the article. Working adults with families are much more likely to choose an online course and work online rather than leaving their homes for a few hours or weeks to traveling to the classroom. This is a vital aspect of the online education-the ability of people to study without interrupting the course of their lives, plus receive a high quality interactive learning. Unique programs that are available over big distances in real time are very attractive for people seeking for specific skills and expertise. Being able to study in such places without traveling far is an obvious practical benefit that saves money, time and effort. Besides those studying online have all recourses available instantly before them, without having to haul that to the classroom. Assignments, spreadsheets and books are made accessible right there, the fact that assures better performance and understanding of the material. In business world where money and time are interrelated such approach of accessibility of the recourses, integrated materials and interactive communication provides the best result for the limited amount of time. The proof to that can be found in the interviews of the professionals, who were studying via online and received a better deal than they would in a physical setting of a regular college. The stress is put on the attentive selection of the university/college for your need, mentioning that the tuition will not be much cheaper than in classical education. For the technologies applied in the learning processes are very expensive and have to be regularly renewed. Studying through internet would be a great experience for people wanting to save time and effort. Provided, it is a good program with needed up to date resources it would be to a definite advantage of those wanting to continue studying. It is clear that currently serious schools are appropriately equipped and set up for the convenience and best results of the learner. The idea of communicating with a professor and other classmates is very comforting to me as I would be able to exchange ideas and thoughts with them in case of need. Taking into consideration the fact that most employers are willing to pay for their employees to continue educating I would suggest for the educators to create specific programs for groups of people from the same companies. Developing special educating courses in particular fields of study for such teams would result in better interaction between the classmates. For instance, an educational program can be designed for a group of financial analytics in a big company. This would lead to increased productivity, better team workArticle Submission, quality performance and school’s reputation as a provider of quality service. The ability to present high quality online education for the educators is based on the knowledge of modern technology and study materials. There is only one definite forecast clearly seen in the online education sector: it will grow and develop until young professionals want to learn and improve their skills.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Stats is a writer at essay writing service Mindrelief.net. Order quality custom essays from our essay service.

HolisticJunction.com Featured School of the Week April 23, 2007: Western Career College

Western Career College, a subsidiary of U.S. Education Corporation, offers students a comprehensive education that prepares students for rewarding careers in the areas of health care, graphic design, and criminal justice. Boasting eight campus locations throughout Northern California, Western Career College is convenient to prospective students searching for diverse learning opportunities.

At Western Career College, a wide variety of academic programs* include courses in biotechnology, criminal justice, dental assisting and hygiene, graphic design, health care administration and related fields, pharmacy and surgical technology, and many others. (*Check individual campuses for program availability.)

If you aspire to work with animals, Western Career College offers a veterinary technology degree program that teaches veterinary fundamentals of anatomy, biology, chemistry and physiology, in addition to animal care techniques, including laboratory procedures, office administration, and surgical nursing.

For those intrigued by the hot career prospects of ultrasound technicians, Western Career College 16-month Ultrasound Technology program offers classroom, laboratory, and hands-on instruction in general sonography. Students are able to attain adequate knowledge and skills to take and pass the RDMS national registry exam to become practicing diagnostic medical sonographers. According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, professionals in this field can earn a median salary of over $60,000 annually.

Interested in working in a spa, resort, or other health/hospitality organization? Offered at seven of its eight campus locations, Western Career College's massage therapy program is an in-depth practical training course that encompasses a broad variety of massage therapy modalities. In addition to education in anatomy, kinesiology, pathology and physiology, students will learn how to effectively administer hydrotherapy, Myofascial release, Shiatsu, Sports and Swedish massage, as well as Trigger Point Therapy. But Western Career College's innovative academic offerings don’t stop there–its massage therapy program also integrates training for the entrepreneur in mind, covering studies in advertising, business, marketing, and other professional business matters.

Enjoy working in detail-oriented settings? Other fast-growing fields of study offered through Western Career College include medical billing and healthcare administration. The medical billing degree program prepares students to work in health care-related clinics, dental and medical offices, medical centers and hospitals. Western Career College's healthcare administration program entails field training, which includes studies in anatomy, pharmacology, professional development, vital sign taking, medical office procedures, and word processing.

If you'd like to gain an entry-level position as a CADD or other design drafter, Western Career College's comprehensive design drafting program might be right for you. Students in this program learn about technical drawing and how to apply innate artistic abilities and technical skills to draft designs for architecture, structural engineering, landscape architecture, and much more.

Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Western Career College also participates in several financial aid programs, including the federal PELL grant, federal loans, a federal College Work Study program, and veterans' benefits.

HolisticJunction.com recognizes Western Career College and applauds its quality standards in being a leader in broadening educational and career training prospects of students everywhere.

If you would like more information about this diversified vocational college, please visit Western Career College today.

Featured School of the Week: Western Career College
The CollegeBound Network

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd - Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com- part of The CollegeBound Network, an interactive media company that specializes in recruitment lead generation solutions for colleges, universities, and career schools.