Paralegal Training and Certification
Paralegals are basically the same as legal assistants, with paralegals possibly having more professional sounding job titles. In any case, for either position the academic prerequisites and opportunities will be the same. The fastest way to start your career as a legal assistant in Arkansas is by earning a certificate, which can take just 6 months to complete. Most entry level positions do call for an Associate's Degree, which provide a more extensive education and can be acquired at numerous community colleges in two years. For an even more extensive education, 4 year Bachelor's Degrees are available as well. After you have earned either a certificate or degree, you might choose to continue and receive a certification. Although it is not a legal requirement in Arkansas to practice as a paralegal, certification may not only help improve your job opportunities, but help establish you as a professional as well. Some of the highly respected certifying organizations in the profession are:
- National Federation of Paralegal Associations
- American Alliance of Paralegals
- National Association of Legal Assistants
- National Association for Legal Professionals
By graduating with a paralegal degree or certificate from an accredited school (we will cover the benefits of accreditation later) and obtaining a certification, you will have taken two important initial steps that will help ensure your success as either a legal assistant or a paralegal.
Legal Assistant and Paralegal Online Degrees
Legal assistant and paralegal online schools have become more available and can be an excellent alternative for students living in Arkansas looking for convenient access to classes as well as flexible scheduling. Online schools can be particularly appealing to students who continue to work while earning a certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, online programs can sometimes be less expensive than more traditional options. Even ancillary expenditures for such items as commuting or study materials can be minimized or eliminated. One caveat, not all online schools are accredited, which we will cover in more detail later. But at a minimum accreditation helps guarantee that the education you obtain is of the highest quality. So check to make sure that the school and program you are thinking about are accredited by a respected agency, for instance the American Bar Association. But if you are disciplined enough to attend classes in a less supervised and formal environment, then obtaining your certificate or degree online could be the ideal choice for you.