What is the difference between paralegal certificate and degree

Search for:. Paralegal Alliance. Find a Job Quizzes. Home Learn Paralegal Certificate vs. Paralegal Certification. Paralegal Certificate vs. Paralegal Certification- is there a difference? Paralegal Certificate Paralegal Certificates are issued by post secondary educational institutions such as a community two year and private colleges.

When a Paralegal Certificate might be Valuable While an associate or bachelor degree in Paralegal Studies is generally best when looking to become a paralegal, there are a couple situations in which a less expensive and time consuming Paralegal Certificate might be all that you need.

This might be true if: You have a Bachelor degree. If you already have a bachelor degree or higher, but not in Paralegal Studies, and you want to become a paralegal, you may only need a Paralegal Certificate to get started on a paralegal career. Sometimes, they provide administrative support to their places of employment. Some paralegals do this because they also have some legal skills. This is advantageous for a couple of reasons.

First, it allows the attorney to concentrate on much more involved legal work. Second, it saves clients money. Here are some examples of common tasks paralegals may perform during the course of their workday. They draft legal pleadings and correspondence, as well as discoveries and document responses. Paralegals may spend time checking the facts of a case or performing legal research, including consulting computer databases.

Client contact and interviews also count as an important task the paralegal must perform. Legal assistants may also analyze and summarize documents. Trial preparation, attending legal functions and client representation if permitted by law where they work count as some of the daily activities they may perform. Additionally, some paralegals choose to specialize just as lawyers do.

Their passions may include tort law or litigation. The tasks paralegals are expected to complete may influence the decisions they make about their educations. While lawyers may get a great deal of the notoriety, they represent only a fraction of the professionals who actually work in the legal field. Certainly, paralegals play a big role in the day-to-day runnings of the legal profession. Many people who work as paralegals may have even considered going to law school to become lawyers, but discovered, after doing some research, that becoming a paralegal better suited them.

For one thing, paralegals require less schooling than attorneys do. Because the paralegal field requires less schooling that also happens to cost far less than schooling required for a Juris Doctor degree , these legal professionals enter the job market a lot sooner than their attorney counterparts. Related: What is a Juris Doctor? This basically means that the paralegal starts working at least five years sooner than his or her attorney counterparts. Paralegals make a high hourly wage. They pay less in student loans, which means they have more disposable income after they graduate.

Less frequently, the term certification is used to describe voluntary programs offered at the state level, either through the bar or through a professional association:. In all other states where voluntary certification is available, it is offered through the local paralegal professional associations and does not come with any additional practice privileges.

Featured Programs:. Request Info. Sponsored Content. What is Trial Management? Search form Search. You are here. Tuesday, October 16, Paralegal Associate Degree Programs Provide More In-Depth and Hands-On Training When you pursue an associate degree in paralegal studies, expect to complete between 60 and 70 credit hours of college classes.

A Degree or Certificate Is Just the Beginning Earning your associate degree in paralegal studies or completing a paralegal certificate program simply provides the educational framework for your new career. Career Opportunities Can Differ for Certificate-Holders Compared to Degree-Holders Employment in the paralegal field as a whole in the United States is expected to grow by 15 percent between and , according to the U.

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