The ABA uses certain guidelines to ensure that your paralegal education is of the highest quality and that the services you can provide are what your employer will need. The ABA has a committee of law professionals whose job is to develop the best programs for a top-quality education. To show prospective employers you have a high-quality education, you will want to enroll in one of the colleges, universities, paralegal programs or online paralegal schools that offer ABA-approved paralegal training.
Paralegals are highly sought-after professionals in the job market. Most employers want a paralegal who is well trained, efficient and able to work independently. Paralegals are needed in corporations, real estate, insurance companies, health care and other businesses. While demand is high, many employers prefer those who graduate from an ABA paralegal training program, because they'll know the paralegal got a strong education.
There are many benefits to graduating from an ABA paralegal training program. The most important is that you will graduate from a school that is recognized by many different employers in the legal community. The program will help you prepare for a job as a legal assistant/paralegal, and your education will be recognized by all states that require ABA-approved schooling. These programs are also accepted by many of the paralegal associations, which will help you become certified or registered, an added plus for your future employer.
There are many different types of paralegal training programs approved by the ABA. More than 1,000 approved programs are offered at numerous institutions, and programs are available in every state. A student may get an associate degree or bachelor's degree or graduate from a specialized paralegal certificate program. As of 2010, the ABA does not have an approved online program, however.
While paralegals cannot become certified through an ABA paralegal training program, they can get certification through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) or the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). These programs test paralegals to ensure that they are prepared to work on a highly professional level and that employers see them as legal professionals.