5 Questions to Ask Before You Select a Paralegal School

Are you thinking about pursuing a paralegal career? You're not alone. Paralegal jobs are hot, in part because the field is expected to grow faster than average. To get started, you typically need to earn a paralegal certificate or degree.

These days there are numerous paralegal schools to choose from. How to narrow them down? There are several basic questions you should ask before you select a paralegal school. These questions will speed your decision and help you choose the school that will be the best fit for you, both personally and professionally.

Are you excited by the curriculum? The majority of paralegal degree programs cover similar core material, including legal terminology, basic legal concepts, legal communications, ethics, and legal research. In addition, most paralegal schools allow students to take a certain number of elective courses. Look over the electives list - do you see several classes you're interested in? Are the courses offered frequently? This will make it easier to take the classes you want when you need them.

Who are the instructors? Review the biographies of the instructors at each school and compare their qualifications. Better yet, talk to current students and recent graduates to get their firsthand opinions of the instructors. Be sure to ask to what extent instructors were available beyond the classroom.

How good is the career placement office? The career placement office will be your first source of job leads as you get ready to graduate. Find out how many employers typically recruit at the school each year, and how many jobs they offer. Talk to current students and recent graduates to get their opinions on the quality of the career services.

Are alumni willing to help? The extent to which paralegal graduates stay involved and connected to their paralegal school can be another useful clue to gauge the overall quality of different paralegal schools. Find out what the school placement office does to assist alumni, find out if the alumni association is active, and ask to speak to some alums. Are they willing to help students prepare for and land paralegal jobs?

Is the school ABA-accredited? ABA-accreditation generally is a good benchmark for overall paralegal school quality. However, there are several other organizations that offer paralegal school accreditation, so it's a good idea to find out if a prospective school is accredited, and if so, what evaluation criteria were used in the assessment.

Can you get help paying for school? Many paralegal schools offer some sort of financial assistance to students. In addition, if you choose to attend a paralegal school that is approved by the United States Department of Education you may qualify for federal financial aid programs.

Finally, beyond this list, be sure to do a "gut check" and think about your overall impressions of each paralegal school you're considering. Your answers to these five questions, along with your intuition, should help you select a quality program which will provide you with the basic training you need to be successful as a paralegal.