Requirements to Become a Paralegal
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Being a paralegal can be both challenging as well as fulfilling. The job of a paralegal or legal assistant is to provide lawyers with all the administrative support needed on a day to day basis, plus play an important role in assisting the latter with delivery of legal services.
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There are always plenty of openings for paralegals in the job market, and that holds good even in today’s scenario. To qualify for one of those jobs, you need to have paralegal education, which is offered by a number of colleges and universities. The two most common programs offered under legal assistant education are Paralegal Associate Degree Programs and Paralegal Bachelor Degree Programs. The first one is usually offered as a 2-year program or 4-year program, and includes a combination of general education and paralegal courses. The second one leads to a baccalaureate degree, offered after successfully completing 120 to 130 semester units. The degree program equips students with the skills required for important jobs like preparing legal materials and articles, legal research, making judicial decisions, investigating case facts and all other allied legal functions. The ethics that govern paralegal work, professional responsibilities, organizational structure in the legal field, office culture and the omnipresent politics -- all are covered in these courses, so that the students are well-prepared for the job.
Certain advanced skills are also taught as a part of legal assistant education, like criminal laws and legal procedures, and since the arrival of the internet, related investigations and civil litigations are now a part of the curriculum too. 
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