Certification can be a great way to advance your career as a paralegal, once you have graduated with a degree. It's not a requirement, but it is highly recommended. Here is an introduction to the organizations that offer certification along with some tips to ace the exams.

The United States does not standardize paralegal education – resulting in many low-quality education programs. However, paralegal associations like the American Association for Paralegal Education offer criteria to help prospective paralegals get the best education. The American Bar Association also publishes standards to promote quality education. In addition to reading the overview information on this resource page, you can also refer to the list of American Bar Association-approved Paralegal Education Programs.

The American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc. (AAPI) was founded in 2003 to “promote and improve the profession of paralegals; to advance the educational and literary standard of the paralegal profession; and to foster, encourage and disseminate information concerning the profession.”

Paralegal and legal assistant jobs comprise a fast-growing sector of the legal field. In 2008, there were 263,800 paralegals working in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of paralegal jobs will increase by 28 percent through 2018. Likewise, competition among paralegals for the best jobs will also increase. In order to stand out from the crowd of candidates, paralegals and legal assistants can earn credentials from several certification organizations.

When building a support team of professionals, attorneys often hire multiple paralegals. Much as nurses assist surgeons, paralegals assist attorneys, communicating between attorneys, clients, and outside parties. Paralegals provide a wide variety of legal services and perform many of the same tasks as attorneys, making them a powerful asset to lawyers and legal offices. The specific ways in which paralegals assist attorneys differ depending on their specific type of workplace.

Various institutions offer paralegal associate degree programs, which are designed to be completed in 2 years. These include community colleges, junior colleges, 4-year colleges and universities. Some business and proprietary schools also offer paralegal associate degree programs. If you intend to pursue your education further in a 4-year college, it is a good idea to find out about transferability of courses from the school. Programs that allow transfer of courses make it easier for you to achieve your educational objectives.

Paralegal certificates are one option available to you, if you intend to join the paralegal profession. While some individuals choose to complete their training before entering the profession, others pursue their educational objectives while working in the field. In most cases, admission into a paralegal certificate program requires the completion of an associate or bachelor’s degree prior to admission. Unlike associate and bachelor degree programs which focus on both legal specialty and general education courses, certificate programs focus more on intensive training for individuals who already possess college degrees.