How to Become a Paralegal: Everything You Need to Know
/Discover the paralegal requirements and how to become a certified paralegal on your journey to law school
Becoming a paralegal can give you invaluable experience and strengthen your law school applications
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Part 1: Introduction
If you’ve always dreamed of becoming an attorney, or if you’re trying to determine whether law is the right career path for you, becoming a paralegal could be the perfect next step in your career journey. Working as a paralegal will be beneficial for you in two major ways: it’ll look good on your law school applications, and it can also help you solidify your commitment to the law profession.
Law schools prefer applicants with paralegal experience because they’ve gained in-depth exposure to the legal industry and hold realistic expectations of what being an attorney is like. With so many inaccurate stereotypes and representations of lawyers floating around, many prospective law students don’t properly understand the day-to-day reality of an attorney’s work. But paralegals have front-row seats to what lawyers do, so law schools can be confident they know what they’re getting into.
Having experience as a paralegal also communicates to law schools that you can hold your own in the legal field since you’re able to interact successfully with clients, attorneys, and partners. You need self-confidence and thick skin to deal with the many types of strong personalities you’ll encounter as an attorney. Being a paralegal helps you gain those qualities.
Becoming a paralegal can help you get into law school, but if you’re not quite sure if being an attorney is right for you, working as a paralegal is one of the best ways to find out. After all, the last thing you want to do is enroll in law school and take on student debt only to discover you dislike legal work.
As a paralegal, you’ll gain first-hand experience in the field of law. You’ll learn how to navigate the legal system and how to practically apply the law principles to real situations. You’ll assist attorneys with researching, writing, and editing legal documents. You’ll work closely with lawyers and see every aspect of their roles, which will help you determine if a career as an attorney is something you want to pursue.
And if your paralegal experience solidifies your interest in law, you’ll be perfectly positioned to sail through the law school admissions process as a competitive applicant. As such a natural stepping stone to law school, it’s no wonder you’re interested in the paralegal profession. Continue reading to discover how to become a paralegal, including how to meet paralegal requirements and make the most of your paralegal work experience.
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Part 2: What does a paralegal do?
It’s important to begin by defining the role of paralegals, also known as legal assistants. Paralegals complete a variety of tasks that are crucial to the smooth functioning of law firms. Here are a few of the duties most commonly performed by paralegals:
Organizing and updating client files
Conducting legal research
Writing messages and documents on behalf of their supervising attorney
Scheduling meetings with clients and witnesses
Obtaining affidavits or written statements to be used in court
Preparing briefs, evidence, and documents for trial
Communicating updates and explaining legal jargon to clients
You’ll quickly see that many of these job tasks overlap with the work of attorneys. And indeed, many times attorneys and their paralegals work hand-in-hand while preparing for trial. However, the most important distinction between the two roles is that paralegals are prohibited from giving legal advice and representing clients in court.
To be a successful paralegal, there are certain important skills you should possess. Since researching and writing are some of the major tasks assigned to paralegals, you should have strong written communication and reading comprehension skills. You should also be a good critical thinker and complete your work with high precision, accuracy, and attention to detail. If your friends regularly accuse you of being a perfectionist, working as a paralegal should be right up your alley.
Of course, you’ll learn many new skills on the job once you’ve become a paralegal. Your supervising attorneys will teach you how to investigate cases and interview clients or witnesses. With all the writing you’ll do, your writing skills will quickly improve to new heights. And you’ll learn the important nuances of whichever branch of law your firm practices. All this experience will help you transition smoothly to law school and launch a successful career as an attorney.
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Part 3: What are the requirements to become a paralegal?
If you’ve decided to become a paralegal, there’s good news: becoming a paralegal is much easier than becoming a lawyer. That’s why many aspiring attorneys start here before taking the plunge into law school. To help you plan out your road to being a paralegal, we’ll explain all the paralegal requirements you’ll need to fulfill, starting with paralegal qualifications.
What are the qualifications to work as a paralegal?
While there aren’t any federal certification or licensure requirements to become a paralegal, some states and many law firms require specific training and education for their paralegal professionals. If you already know an attorney who’s willing to hire you as a paralegal, you may be able to sidestep an official training program, but otherwise, you’ll have to seek formal paralegal education.
Most law firms require their paralegals to complete a minimum of a certificate program or an associate’s degree in paralegal studies. However, more and more firms—particularly large and reputable ones—prefer paralegals who possess bachelor’s degrees, plus a post-baccalaureate paralegal certificate. If you’ve already completed your bachelor’s, you’re in the perfect position to quickly earn a certificate and become an attractive paralegal hire.
Where are paralegal certificate programs offered?
You can find paralegal certificate programs offered in several different places. Many four-year colleges and universities provide them through their continuing education departments. In addition, you’ll find paralegal programs at community colleges, trade schools, and business schools.
Paralegal certificate programs may be delivered both online and in-person. Rather than employing the Socratic teaching method as law schools do, paralegal programs structure their classes in the conventional lecture style. You can expect most programs to be around eighteen semester credits in length.
When deciding which paralegal certificate program to attend, there are many factors you can consider. You should evaluate each program’s cost, location, job placement rate, and reputation in the surrounding legal community. You also want to make sure potential programs are accredited by the American Bar Association. Completing an ABA-accredited program will prove to potential employers that you’ve acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to perform your job well.
Many students at this point ask, “How long does it take to become a paralegal?” After all, if you’ve already completed an undergraduate degree and you’re contemplating law school in the future, you might be hesitant to enroll in a lengthy paralegal training program. Fortunately for you, most post-degree paralegal certificate programs can be completed in three to six months.
What subjects are covered in paralegal certificate programs?
Paralegal certificate programs cover a broad range of content to help their students to become effective, successful paralegals. Many programs require students to complete the following core classes:
Overview of the law
Legal research (learning how to search for legal precedents)
Legal writing (learning how to draft legal documents)
Litigation basics (learning how to apply the law to specific situations)
Legal ethics
In addition, you might find a number of optional paralegal electives you can take alongside your core classes. These courses allow you to explore and specialize in a specific branch of law. Some possible elective subjects include criminal law, family law, business law, torts law, real estate law, bankruptcy law, intellectual property law, and contracts law.
The electives you take in your paralegal certificate program can pair nicely with your required paralegal practicum or internship. You’ll work alongside paralegals and attorneys in local law firms to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom. If you make a great impression in your internship, you might even be able to land a job at that firm after completing your program.
How to become a certified paralegal
Completing a paralegal certificate program prepares you for the field and makes you eligible to apply for paralegal jobs, but it doesn’t designate you as a certified paralegal. Becoming a certified paralegal may not be required for the jobs you apply to, but it can help you be a stronger job candidate, receive better pay, and take on more advanced legal responsibilities.
There are a couple of credentialing organizations that offer paralegal certification, and we’ll look at two specific options here. Both require candidates to pass an ABA-approved paralegal program as the first qualifying step.
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) offers a CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP) credential to paralegals who pass the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam—a multiple-choice test covering legal terminology, paralegal practice, and legal ethics.
The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) offers a Certified Paralegal (CP) credential for candidates who pass the Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant Exam—a multiple-choice and short-answer test assessing knowledge of federal laws and procedures.
To determine which paralegal credential is a better choice for you, look up paralegals working in your area. If a majority possess their certifications through one of those organizations over the other, it might be the more commonly recognized credential and therefore your preferred option.
Once you’ve earned your paralegal certification, you can proudly add it to your resume, use your network to search for job openings, and apply for paralegal positions as a strong candidate.
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Part 4: How to make the most of your paralegal experience
After putting the time and effort into becoming a paralegal, you want to make sure your experience is as beneficial to you as possible. To that end, we’ll share a few guidelines to help you get established as an active and involved paralegal.
Where are the best places to work as a paralegal?
Paralegals can work at many different places besides law firms, including banks, insurance companies, professional trade organizations, real estate firms, and the legal departments of corporations. And that’s just the private sector. You’ll also find paralegals working in government agencies, public defenders’ offices, prosecutors’ offices, and community legal service programs.
Where you choose to work as a paralegal should be determined by the branches of law you find most interesting. This will help you stay engaged in your day-to-day work, as well as determine if you’d enjoy being an attorney in that field.
In general, smaller law firms and firms in the not-for-profit sector assign their paralegals more substantive tasks than larger firms do, who might delegate primarily administrative duties to their paralegals. It’s all due to the bottom line—smaller firms have less capital and can cut down on operating costs by giving advanced tasks to paralegals rather than hiring additional attorneys. For someone who’s dipping their toe into the legal field, these types of opportunities can help you gain more valuable experiences.
When searching for paralegal job openings, read the role description closely to see if substantive tasks are included in addition to the more commonplace administrative ones. And if you’re interviewing for a paralegal position, ask a lot of questions to determine what type of advanced opportunities will be available to you. Don’t be afraid to turn down a paralegal job offer if it won’t provide you with the experiences and responsibilities you want.
How to strengthen your law school applications as a paralegal
While becoming a paralegal strengthens your law school application on the surface, the types of experiences and connections you gain in your role have the power to propel you into stand-out candidate status. So after getting the type of paralegal job you want, you still need to make the most of it in specific ways.
Seek additional responsibilities and opportunities. Administrative tasks will always be a part of a paralegal’s work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t volunteer for more advanced tasks when they arise. Prove yourself worthy of taking on additional duties that will offer you more in-depth legal experience.
Find a mentor. Getting an outstanding letter of recommendation from your supervising attorney is a surefire way to impress law school admissions committees. But beyond that, a mentoring attorney can offer you invaluable career guidance and support. After all, being a new lawyer can be grueling. You want someone in your corner to encourage you to keep pushing.
Expand your legal network. Anyone you encounter in the legal field—from fellow paralegals to attorneys at your firm to the opposing counsel—might prove to be a worthwhile connection who can open law school or summer associate doors for you. Invest your efforts into building a strong legal network to help you advance your career.
How to leverage your paralegal position into law school benefits
Many legal firms you could work for as a paralegal would be thrilled to support you in your law school journey. Some have standard education benefits they offer their employees, such as paying for LSAT prep or providing law school tuition reimbursement. You’ll find these types of opportunities most often at larger firms, but even small law firms might be willing to create a new benefits program if they like you enough.
Some paralegals who enroll in law school actually choose to continue working while they complete their degree. With the busy schedule required for law school students, they’ll have to either work part-time or study part-time, but they manage to make it work. Taking this approach, if it’s available to you, may help you get hired as an attorney at your firm after you finish law school and pass the bar exam.
Final thoughts
If applying to law school is on your horizon, becoming a paralegal is the perfect way to strengthen your law school application and confirm your passion for a career in law. Through your paralegal journey, you’ll gain invaluable experience in the legal field and adopt a new perspective of an attorney’s role. Now that you know exactly how to become a paralegal, you’re more than ready to propel yourself and your legal career forward.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on law school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into law school using his exclusive approach.
