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What Does ABA Approval Mean?
The American Bar Association has identified
over 600 institutions that offer some form of paralegal education. The
type of program you select will depend on many things, like the availability of
a program in your area, the cost of the program, the time required to complete
the program, whether you want a degree or a certificate, and many other factors.
The first decision you must make is whether you want an education program that
is ABA approved. The ABA
Standing Committee on Legal Assistants
(SCOLA) has developed guidelines for
approval of paralegal education programs. These guidelines address
physical facilities, faculty, curriculum, access to legal research materials,
and many other topics. Of the 600-plus paralegal education programs out
there, fewer than 250 are
ABA approved.
The ABA has granted approval to 2-year and
4-year paralegal education programs, as well as certification programs.
Exactly what does ABA approval mean?
For starters, it means that the program is not a distance learning program.
The
ABA Guidelines for the Approval of Legal Assistant Education Programs
require, among other things, that the
institution have a physical facility with classroom instruction and a law
library, or access to a law library. A program is allowed to offer some
classes online or through other distance learning media, but the program cannot
be entirely distance learning-based. Having said that, there is one
paralegal certification program that is almost entirely an online program.
College
of Mount St. Joseph,
located in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers an ABA
approved certification through distance study. Students in the program
must complete one weekend in residency at the College. From there,
however, all coursework is done online. For more information, contact the
program's director.
In terms of curricula, ABA approval has
resulted in a fair amount of consistency from program to program. All ABA
approved two and four-year schools require some general or basic education,
together with a core of legal specialty courses. The number of hours will
depend, of course, on whether you are in a 2-year program or a 4-year program.
ABA approval does not guarantee you a
quality education; it simply means that the education program meets the ABA
guidelines. However, the fact that a program is ABA approved is a strong
indication that you will receive a solid, well rounded education with an
emphasis on the law. It is for just that reason that more and more
employers who look for paralegals with formal education want graduates of an ABA
approved program.
Finally, ABA approval does not come cheap.
Getting and keeping approved status means going through an
approval process
that entails a significant investment of
resources, financial and otherwise, on the part of a school. The fact that
a school is willing to make that kind of investment may give you some assurance
that the school is committed to paralegal education for the long haul, as
opposed to being a "here today, gone tomorrow" operation.
Just as ABA approval does not guarantee a
good education, lack of ABA approval does not guarantee a poor education.
There are many reasons why an institution might choose not to seek ABA approval.
As suggested above, getting and keeping ABA approval requires a significant
investment of time, money, and other resources. Some schools weigh the
costs against the benefits and decide that ABA approval is not worth it.
Programs that are entirely distance learning based are not, at present, eligible
for ABA approval. Because the demand for paralegals is greater than ever,
the demand for paralegal education has also increased greatly. This demand
means that lots of programs have no trouble finding and keeping students
notwithstanding their lack of ABA approval.
A school's ABA approval, or lack of
approval, is just one factor among many you must weigh. In the end,
practicalities may win out. If a non-approved program is the only one you
can attend, chances are that some education is better than none at all.
Simply be aware that there are scams out there; people will take your money and
promise you the moon and the stars, but deliver little of value. Do some
checking, and make sure that you'll get what you're paying for.
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Four-Year Schools
Lots of four-year colleges and universities
offer a degree of some sort in undergraduate legal education. To know
what's being offered, though, you have to speak a bit of the language.
Programs that prepare students to work as paralegals will be called something
like "Paralegal Studies" or "Legal Assisting". Do not confuse those with
programs in "Justice Studies". Usually, but not always, a degree in
"Justice Studies" or "Criminal Justice" prepares you to work in the law
enforcement field. Likewise, a "Pre-Law" degree may or may not give you
the course work you need to work as a paralegal. In theory, a "Pre-Law"
program will prepare you to go to law school. If law school is not in your
future, check carefully to make sure that a "Pre-Law" degree will deliver the
courses you need. Some are very good; others are little more than a
conglomeration of liberal arts and social science classes packaged under the
"Pre-Law" title.
The University of Texas maintains a
comprehensive list of
regionally accredited colleges and universities.
As suggested above,
ABA approval is the easiest way
to make sure that the program you're looking at is really a paralegal education
program. If the school is an
AAfPE
member, then chances are better
that it offers a program that will suit your needs. A state-by-state listing of
paralegal education programs is available on
Findlaw.
The various paralegal education guidelines
all recommend a well-rounded education with an emphasis on substantive legal
courses.
You can expect to take roughly 120 semester
hours (around 40 classes) to get a four-year degree. About half of the
courses leading to your degree should be basic or general education courses in
things like English, communications, math, physical science, social science, and
the arts. The remaining half of the courses will cover such "core" topics
as legal research and writing, civil procedure, torts, criminal law and
procedure, legal ethics, business organizations, and others. Some programs
offer electives (or perhaps even required courses) in things like family law,
probate law, environmental law, intellectual property law, business law, and
more. Because we live in a high tech world, most schools will also require
one or more courses designed to acquaint you with computers, word processing,
spreadsheets and databases, and law-related software for time and billing, case
management, trust accounting, and conflict management. These lists are not
all inclusive; the truth is that while you can expect to see the same core
subjects from program to program, the ABA guidelines offer enough flexibility to
permit a variety of course offerings.
At the conclusion of your studies, you will
receive a bachelor's degree in the arts or sciences, with a major in legal
assisting, paralegal studies, or something close to one of those. More and
more, employers who are after paralegals with formal education want a four year
degree from an ABA approved program. As the paralegal profession continues
to mature and grow, this trend can be expected to continue.
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Two-Year Schools
Many junior colleges and community colleges
offer two year paralegal education programs that lead to an associate's degree
in the arts or sciences. The biggest difference between two-year and
four-year programs is simply the number of hours required to get the degree.
As mentioned above, you need around 120 semester hours for a bachelor's degree;
an associate's degree typically requires more like 60 semester hours (20
courses). Again, half of these courses will be basic or general education
courses in English, communications, math, physical science, social science, and
the arts. The remaining classes will cover legal "core" subjects like
legal research and writing, civil procedure, torts, criminal law and procedure,
legal ethics, and business organizations. Since there are fewer hours
involved to get the degree, you will take fewer elective courses.
A college education, like most everything
else today, is expensive. To save money, more and more students
start at a community college or junior college, and then transfer to a four-year
school. Other students get an associate's degree in legal assisting, and
then move on to get a bachelor's degree. This strategy makes a lot of
sense, but requires some planning. If your goal is to get to a four-year
college, you should find out what courses that college will accept for transfer
credit. Many universities have articulation agreements with local
community colleges. These agreements set forth what courses the university
will accept in transfer from a particular community college. Even if a
university does not have an articulation agreement with the community college
you plan to attend, the university's admissions office will usually work with
you to give you some ideas about transfer credits. Take advantage of these
resources, so that when the time comes to move on to the four-year school, you
won't find yourself with a bunch of community college hours that will not
transfer.
If you are looking for a community
college near you, check out the list of
regionally accredited community colleges maintained by
the University of Texas. Find out if the school is an
AAfPE member, and whether its paralegal education
program is
ABA approved.
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Certification Programs
Many colleges and proprietary schools offer
paralegal "certification" programs. A good certification program will give
you your money's worth, but be wary. Some proprietary schools and distance
education programs use terms like "certified", "certification", or
"accredited" in an effort to attract unsuspecting students, or to lend
credibility to a shoddy program.
The certification programs I speak of here
are those with ABA approval offered by bona fide schools. Essentially, a
certification program dispenses with the general or basic education that you get
at a four-year or two-year school, and consists entirely of legal courses.
Certification is a good option for someone who already has a two-year or
four-year degree. The good programs require, at a minimum, a high school
diploma or GED for admission. Some require a two-year or a four-year
degree for admission. The time required to complete a certification
program depends on how many courses are involved. The range is between two
months and two years. When you finish the course of study, you are awarded
a certificate or certification in legal assisting or paralegal studies.
As suggested above, if you are thinking
about a certification program, check it out carefully before you act.
Anyone can offer you any kind of "certification"; such a credential from the
East Blurfco Online School of Paralegal Studies means very little. If the
school says it is "approved" or "accredited", the first question you should ask
is: by who? Most universities, colleges, and schools are accredited by,
and are members of, one or more accrediting bodies. The fact that the
institution is accredited says nothing about the status of its paralegal
education program. Make sure that the accreditation comes from a
bona fide educational accrediting entity.
Find out if the school is an
AAfPE member,
and check to see if the paralegal education
program itself is
ABA approved.
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Online and Distance Education Programs
A few words about online and
distance education programs. First, there are reputable programs out
there. Second, finding a reputable program will require some homework on
your part. Keep in mind that, while the field of education is loosely
regulated, there is little to stop anyone from posting a Web page and opening an
online "paralegal school". At present, the ABA does not approve paralegal
education programs that are offered entirely online or through distance
education. However, the ABA-approved post-baccalaureate certification program offered by
College of Mt. Saint Joseph comes pretty close to
being entirely online. If you are after an ABA-approved two-year or
four-year degree, your
online or distance options, at least for now, are limited to individual program
classes.
The same caveats I mentioned in
connection with Certification Programs, above, apply here. If the school
claims to be "accredited", check out the accreditation. Is it a
reputable educational accrediting entity? The
fact that the accrediting entity is recognized by the United States Department
of Education should not end your investigation. That recognition certainly
sounds impressive, but what it means is that the school, by virtue of its
accreditation by a recognized accrediting entity, is eligible to participate in
federal student financial aid programs. The United States Department of
Education does not directly regulate, accredit, or approve paralegal education
programs.
Just as anyone can open an online
"paralegal school", anyone can send you a piece of paper called a "paralegal
certificate". Make sure that the program has real substance to it, and
that the certification or diploma you will receive after spending lots of your
time and hard-earned money will actually mean something. I do not mean to
disparage all online and distance education programs; some are reputable.
It is up to you to check them out carefully. As with all things Internet,
buyer beware.
Findlaw has a listing of
online paralegal education programs. A school
that is affiliated with the United States Department of Agriculture offers a
Certificate of Accomplishment in Paralegal Studies by
distance means. Kaplan, the company best known for test preparation,
offers a
paralegal diploma program, an
associate's degree in paralegal studies, and a
bachelor of science degree in paralegal studies.
Many other online programs are available. To find them, get on any search
engine and do a search request for "paralegal education".
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Financial Aid
If you're like most students, you will need
some financial aid to pay for your education. The good news is, there is a
lot of financial aid money available. The bad news is, not all of it is
free money. Stated differently, scholarships, grants, and stipends are
offered by virtually every school. Most of these are need-based, or are
targeted at specific student populations. Some are competitive in nature,
based upon high school or college grades and activities. The odds are that
even if you qualify for these funds, they will not cover your entire college
bill and all related expenses. You'll probably have to finance the balance
with student loans.
If you think financial aid is in your
future, the best places to find out what’s available are the financial aid
offices of the schools you might attend. You should start the financial
aid-seeking process there, well in advance of the time you plan to attend.
Do not wait until a school has accepted you to begin doing the voluminous
application paperwork. There is only a limited amount of financial aid to
go around; if your application gets in as the money supply is dwindling (or
after it has dried up), you will have to look elsewhere. The schools will
give you their deadlines for submitting financial aid applications.
Your college financial aid office will give
you a copy of the
Free Application
for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA). This is one of the first
applications you will want to complete. It requires you to provide
information directly from your tax returns, so get your previous year's tax
returns done as soon as possible after January 1. The FAFSA cannot be
filed until after January 1. Each school where you have applied for
admission will determine your eligibility for financial aid at that school.
Most student loans available through the government carry low interest rates,
defer interest accrual until you graduate, and offer some flexibility in
repayment options.
Student loans are also available from
private lenders, but these loans are usually not as attractive as government
loans. In addition to less favorable terms, your ability to qualify for
private loans depends on the strength of your credit. The difference in
cost between a low-interest, federally-subsidized loan that defers interest
accrual and a loan you obtain in the open market at prevailing (or higher)
interest rates can be significant. As always, the bottom line is the
bottom line: actively seek out the government-subsidized loans that offer the
best deals.
There are lots of online resources that
will explain the kinds of financial aid available, and help you find it.
One of the most comprehensive is
students.gov, a Web site with a
ton of information about colleges and financial aid. The United States
Department of Education
Student Financial Assistance Web page
is a great source of information, as is the
FAFSA site. Ditto the DOE
online publication
"Funding Your Education".
You can order a
free copy of the booklet, but be
aware that it is updated each year. An online booklet called
"The Student Guide" is published
each year, and gives information about federal financial aid. Information
about federal student aid is available from
other federal agencies, in
addition to DOE. Your
state department of education
can tell you about state funded scholarships, grants, and other financial
assistance like
state guaranteed student loans.
Lots of privately maintained Web sites
purport to offer information about financial aid; go to any search engine and do
a search request for "college", "financial aid", or "scholarships" and you'll
get more hits than you know what to do with. But beware of Web sites that
want you to pay for a subscription, or pay for a financial aid search.
Virtually all the information you find there can be found for free elsewhere.
If you are thinking about paying for a scholarship search service,
read this first.
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© 2002, 2001 Daniel R. Ray
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