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Why become a paralegal? |
Career Benefits
- High Demand: Paralegals are in consistent demand across law firms, government agencies, and corporations—especially with rising legal workloads.
- Diverse Career Options: Work in areas like criminal law, corporate law, real estate, family law, immigration, intellectual property, and more.
- Opportunities for Advancement: With experience, you can specialize, become a senior paralegal, legal operations manager, or even transition to law school.
- Fast Entry into the Legal Field: Most programs take 1–2 years, making it a quicker, cost-effective path into the legal profession.
- Transferable Skills: Research, writing, organization, and communication skills gained as a paralegal are valuable across many industries.
Financial Benefits
- Good Earning Potential: Competitive salaries, especially with experience or in specialized fields like litigation or corporate law.
- Lower Education Costs: Compared to law school, paralegal programs are more affordable, with quicker return on investment.
- Access to Legal Careers Without a JD: You can work in the legal field without the time and debt required to become an attorney.
Workplace Benefits
- Collaborative Environment: Paralegals work closely with attorneys, clients, and court staff, building strong professional networks.
- Respect & Responsibility: Paralegals often manage case files, conduct legal research, draft documents, and support litigation—key functions in any legal team.
- Flexible Work Settings: Opportunities to work in law firms, nonprofits, government, corporate legal departments—or remotely.
Personal & Professional Growth
- Lifelong Learning: Constant exposure to new laws, technologies, and cases keeps the role engaging and intellectually stimulating.
- Making a Difference: Whether helping families through legal challenges or supporting justice efforts, paralegals can have a meaningful impact.
- Strong Professional Community: Associations like the Ventura County Paralegal Association provide networking, education, and support.
WHY CHOOSE AN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION PARALEGAL SCHOOL? |
Credibility & Quality Assurance
ABA approval means the program meets rigorous national standards for legal education—including curriculum, faculty, and resources. It’s a sign of quality and legitimacy.
Stronger Job Opportunities
Employers often prefer or require candidates from ABA-approved programs because they trust the training. It can give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs.
Comprehensive Legal Training
These programs provide well-rounded instruction in legal research, writing, ethics, litigation, and specialized areas of law—preparing you for real-world work.
Access to Better Internships
ABA-approved schools tend to have stronger ties to law firms and courts, making it easier to land internships or externships that lead to jobs.
Easier Path to Certification
Many national paralegal certification exams (like NALA’s CP or NFPA’s RP) recommend or require education from an ABA-approved program.
Higher Standards, Greater Confidence
You’ll graduate knowing you’ve met a nationally respected standard, which boosts confidence—yours and your future employer's.
Professional Recognition
ABA approval signals to attorneys, courts, and professional organizations that you're serious about your career and were trained under top standards.
Click HERE to check out ABA-accredited paralegal schools.