Or is it all the same if I get it online? I know a person doesn't have to have a certificate , but I know it helps. Therefore, I am wondering if it is worth the extra bucks and commute time to go through an ABA approved paralegal program or if getting the certificate is just as good if it was done online at some random school.
I work for one of the biggest law firms in the Detroit area, and I can tell you unequivocally that a certification from an ABA-approved program carries much more weight than a certification from a non-ABA approved program (BTW, online degrees are at the bottom of the list -- they're literally not worth the paper they're printed on). ABA accreditation means the program has been reviewed by a panel of lawyers and the program has met with their approval as to the skill set a paralegal specialist requires in order to be a useful part of a law office. So if an applicant comes in and has an ABA-approved paralegal program on their education record, they know there is a basic set of skills this person already has that will not have to be taught or re-taught (and that saves the firm time and money). By contrast, a person who comes in with any other type of paralegal certification may have those basic skills, but then again he/she may not. Law firms don't like to take chances on people like that, so the person from the ABA-approved program wins every time.
Source(s):
14+ years experience as a paralegal specialist
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