Paralegal Certificate or Degree

A Big Decision: Certificate or Degree?

If you're like most prospective paralegal students just starting to research education requirements, you're probably facing one of the "big" decisions: should you get a paralegal certificate or degree?

The right choice for you depends on your answers to four important questions. Use them as a guide to help you decide whether a paralegal certificate (not to be confused with paralegal certification!) or an actual degree (associate's, bachelor's, or master's) will be best for you.

Four Questions To Answer "Paralegal Certificate or Degree?"

1. Do you already have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree?
If you do, your best bet is probably to go for the paralegal certificate. Here’s why: you already have a good education foundation from your degree and what you really need to add are practical paralegal skills. Paralegal certificate programs are heavily focused on building these skills.

2. If you don’t have a degree already, do you have related work experience?
Perhaps you’ve been working as a legal secretary or in an administrative position at a law firm. Given you prior work experience, employers may be willing to hire you with a paralegal certificate even if you don’t hold a degree. In your case, the paralegal certificate will complement your existing skills. Employers like candidates that can “hit the ground running” and your prior legal experience might give them enough confidence you can do just that.

3. Are you interested in going to law school some day?
Some people become paralegals to get some legal experience and to find out whether or not they truly like the law field. This can be a great approach to really know what you’re getting yourself into before shelling out a lot of money for law school!

If you think there is even a remote possibility that you will want to go to law school (or get any type of advanced degree someday) a bachelor’s degree is likely your best bet. You’ll need it to get into any advanced degree program down the road. If you’re more interested in getting a basic degree and getting on with it, then an associate’s degree is probably a better fit for you.

5. What do you need in order to get hired?
One thing we emphasize over and over at All-Paralegal.com is to think about your paralegal education options very practically and from the employer’s perspective.

In other words, what are local hiring managers looking for? Do job ads require a degree or a certificate? If a degree is required, what type? Doing a little research now will help ensure you pursue the right paralegal training you need in order to get hired!

One final word on figuring out which paralegal education option makes the most sense for you: take your time to really think about what you want. Step back and think about what you want today, and also what you might want 5 years from now. Taking time now will help you to identify and successfully follow the right path to achieve your particular career goals and aspirations.

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