In order for you to qualify with the Certified Legal Assistant Examination (CLEA) so you can eventually be licensed by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), make sure that what you will be taking up is an ABA approved paralegal program. ABA stands for American Bar Association, a prestigious organization of lawyers in the United States.
Athens Technical College
Located in Georgia, Athens Technical College is among those that provide ABA approved paralegal program. It is a public institution that has a minimum length of four quarters to finish the course.
Athens Technical College classes are both in the morning and evening. With an online preparatory module, its class size is only up to 18 students that highlights on quality instruction in clusters or 1- on- 1. The faculty is composed of licensed attorneys that had an extensive training in law practice and paralegal management.
Burlington County College
Located in New Jersey, Burlington County College is among those that provide ABA paralegal program. They have an Associate of Applied Science program that will prepare their students to become efficient legal assistants.
Burlington County College also gives its students the chance to shift to the Bachelors degree even in the semester of graduation. It requires the completion of about twelve law- related, two business and seven general education subjects. Provided during evening time, each are taught by practicing attorneys and licensed paralegals.
Cerritos Community College
Located in California, Cerritos Community College is among those that provide ABA program. They require a minimum time of two years to finish their program.
Cerritos Community College is just twenty minutes away from Los Angeles and Orange County. They have a strong internship program with about thirty- five locations that accept their students be it in law firms, local courts and aid offices. Their two full- time faculty members are legitimate attorneys that have an experience not just in the United States but also abroad.
Denver Career College
Located in Colorado, Denver Career College is among those that provide ABA program. It is a private and proprietary school that offers a Post- degree Certificate in Paralegal Studies. Their internship is mandatory which will be able to equip their students with what awaits them outside the four walls of the academe.
Denver Career College was founded in 1977 and received the endorsement of the American Bar Association two years after. Their day program can be finished in about six months which consists of the practicum outside with an evening module in eleven months. They also grant assistance projects for their graduates so they can find an initial occupation.
Aba Approved Paralegal Program
Curriculum for Paralegals are usually ABA curriculum tailored towards providing you , after a successful completion of paralegal studies, the skills and opportunities of working as a lawyer's assistant in research, document preparation, client interviews and drafting of legal documents. As a qualified paralegal your services are also required in the legal departments of corporations, firms and organizations.
Another aspect of ABA approved Paralegal program is the pre-law specialization that prepares you for the law school proper.
ABA approved Paralegal institutions offer Associate of Applied Science, Post Degree Certificate, (only those who have already obtained a bachelor or associate degree are qualified). Bachelor of Science degree on Paralegal Studies and Certificate in Legal Nurse Consulting are two other programs offered by ABA approved paralegal study institutions.
ABA approved Paralegal institution's minimum course duration is 1 - 2 academic years and internship is mandatory in most schools.
If you are looking for ABA approved Paralegal Education Program, then the Standing Committee on Paralegals Directory of ABA approved Paralegal Education Programs is where to look.
Some work experience is usually beneficial for an intending paralegal student like you. Courses, depending on the type of institution, can run for between 2 (for community and junior colleges) to 4 years in a University. Aside from the general requirements above, the ABA Standing Committee Directory listing carry varying standard requirements for different instructions in terms of duration of course, course content and admission requirements.
Therefore, you should consider the factors favourable to you while choosing any particular school or institution.
More than 1000 institutions are offering Paralegal degree and certificate programs in the United States of America, but the ABA approved Paralegal institutions can be found at the ABA standing committee Directory of Paralegal schools.
NOTE: ABA approval for Paralegal schools or instructions is not mandatory by law so it is not a measure of the quality of or reputability of an institution that it is ABA approved, yet institutions have found it necessary to get ABA approval by meeting the ABA requirement in order to, I suppose, bluster their image. My advise is that you should go for ABA approved institutions for your paralegal studies.
Online institutions like their offline counterparts are of different categories and as such offer different qualities of course content programs. You should as a matter of fact take a critical look at the institution offering the Paralegal Degree Online program you chose. Carry out your investigation with the information below to ensure that such institution is an ABA approved paralegal degree online program.
INSIGHT INTO ABA ONLINE PARALEGAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
Paralegal degree programs prepares you for employment as a paralegal or legal assistant in a private law office and even both the public and the private sectors such as banking, insurance, real estate etc. Care must, however, be taken to ensure that a chosen school or online paralegal degree program is approved by the American Bar Association in conjunction with the institution being an institutional member of the American Association for Paralegal education (AAFPE) and other relevant regulatory bodies for Paralegal studies.
Concluding Part II will be on this same category soon.
Both Joann Cheong & Charles Neshah are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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