If you want to strive for the highest level of education available to you out of high school and set yourself up for the best employment opportunities, consider a bachelors degree in paralegal studies. Corporate paralegals may monitor and review government regulations to ensure that the corporation is aware of new legal requirements. The State of Utah has also established education and experience requirements for its Licensed Paralegal Practitioner designation, also of use to paralegals. The How to Become One tab describes how to prepare for a job in the occupation. This compensation comes from two main sources. Of course, when first getting hired, negotiating your salary is a must, but keep in mind the realities of the position, as well as the size of your potential firm. Qualification. SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. products appear within listing categories. Litigation can move at an extremely fast and unpredictable pace. Itll take you about 4 years of full-time study to complete (about 120 credits), but it will satisfy ABA, NALA, and NFPA recommendations and position you nicely for a job with a larger firm or corporation. Degree: Although not required by law, The State Bar of Texas recommends completion of a paralegal or legal studies program. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Paralegal education is not ordinarily as academically demanding as law school since, unlike most J.D. Just ask any law firm looking to bring a new paralegal onboard or any organization representing the profession. Think of it as being very much the same as a degree Professionalcertification, of the other hand, describes a credential you earn through testing and is awarded by one of a few nationally recognized certification agencies. So much so that the National Federation of Paralegal Associations hasreleased a statementin an effort to clarify matters. Working Title: PARALEGAL SPECIALIST II - 41000477. Its always a good idea to check out programs offered through schools that have received regional accreditation through one of the following agencies: The ABA also approves specific paralegal programs (this is different from institution-level accreditation), but only those delivered on-campus and only those that have applied for approval. With that type of experience at a smaller firm, the salaries are a little lower, staying in the $70,000 range." Research skills. In large organizations, paralegals may work on a particular phase of a case, rather than handling a case from beginning to end. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. But even the most impressive background wont get you very far if you dont capture the attention of an employer. 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