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Canyon College

online paralegal school and training

The Paralegal and Legal Assistant Training Program
(PLAT)

Frequently Asked Questions about this program

Table of Contents

GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT PARALEGALS

EMPLOYMENT

CERTIFICATION OF PARALEGALS

PARALEGAL EDUCATION USING THE INTERNET


THE PARALEGAL AND LEGAL ASSISTANT TRAINING INSTITUTE (PLAT)

IN GENERAL

GRADING AND EVALUATION




GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT PARALEGALS

What does a paralegal do?

Paralegals can do much of the work that a lawyer would do. They can do research, prepare documents, write briefs, and analyze case law. They could gather information to prepare for trial, such as the analysis of documents or the questioning of clients or witnesses.

Does this mean that paralegals can work on their own?

No paralegal can practice law. While a paralegal can do some of the tasks that a lawyer does, such as research and writing, no jurisdiction licenses paralegals to engage in the practice of law on their own. The practice of law includes making appearances as legal representatives for a client, offering of legal advice, or signing legal documents on the client's behalf.

Any law-related work that a paralegal does has to be supervised and approved by an attorney.

How is a paralegal different from a legal secretary?

Paralegals may also do typing and copying. But because they understand more of the content that they're dealing with, they can do many of the tasks that a lawyer might do, but more cheaply.

Can paralegals specialize?

They certainly can; in fact, that may enhance their marketability in the marketplace, since the paralegal has developed a comprehensive understanding of a specific area of the law.

A lawyer who regularly represents buyers or sellers of land may rely upon the paralegal to prepare those documents necessary for completing the sale. So paralegals could develop expertise in preparing such documents.


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EMPLOYMENT

How much of a demand exists, in the marketplace, for paralegals?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, paralegals and legal assistants are among the ten fastest growing occupations, with projected growth in the field, until 2008, increasing by 62%.

What accounts for such an increase in the demand for paralegals?

While the United States has many law schools which graduate excellent candidates for certification as a lawyer, there is an increasing demand for legal services, especially for low costs legal services. By relying on paralegals to do some of the work, a single lawyer can offer lower cost services to more clients.


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CERTIFICATION OF PARALEGALS

Is there a certification test which someone has to pass before being able to work as a paralegal?

No. States don't regulate the activities of paralegals by imposing mandatory certification requirements.

Why don't states require certification of paralegals before they work in the field of law?

They recognize that paralegals can provide a wide range of services when working with a lawyer more cheaply than if the lawyer had provided such services.

The states also have recognized that having paralegals pass a certification test would increase the costs for becoming a paralegal.
If paralegals had to take to complete a set curriculum of classes on specific topics -- so that the paralegal would have something approaching the breadth and depth of a lawyer's knowledge of the law -- that would deter some people from becoming paralegals. Learning a specific curriculum would cost more, thereby discouraging some people from working as a paralegal. Since it would cost more to complete such a curriculum, there would be fewer paralegals to help attorneys. With fewer paralegals, the price for their services go up. That would mean that a lawyer might have to decline an opportunity to represent a client, since having the paralegal do many law-related tasks would not be so cheap, when compared to having the lawyer doing the work. So, fewer people would have access to the knowledge and expertise of lawyers and paralegals.

Because states want to encourage the use of paralegals in the law office or government agency, they have not imposed certification standards which an individual must satisfy before that person can hold herself or himself out to the world as being a "paralegal".

But aren't there certification programs in the field?

Yes.

The National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. has created national standards and a test which allows a paralegal to be known as a Certified Legal Assistant.

To qualify to take the test, a test-taker must have done any one (1) of the following: Over the course of two days, students could have to answers questions on During the test, students will have to complete demonstrate knowledge about substantive law regarding the American Legal System. They will also get to choose to answer questions in four (4) of the following substantive law topics:

The NALA also offers examines in specialized topics of law, for those people who've already become CLAs.

For more information about NALA, contact them at:

National Association of Legal Assistants
1516 S. Boston, #200
Tulsa, OK 74119
(918) 587-6828

or at www.nala.org

The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination (PACE). This test recognizes the fact that some paralegals do have more expertise in an area and that set a standard for evaluating that level of competency. It is also offered to states if they have chosen to regulate paralegals by requiring all paralegals to take this test if they which to work as a paralegal. This is a voluntary test, which could objectively establish the advanced competency of a paralegal. It generally seems to be a test designed for individuals who have already earned a bachelor's degree.

For more information about NFPA's PACE, contact them at:

National Federation of Paralegal Associations
P.O. Box 33108
Kansas City, MO 64114
(816) 941-4000

or at www.paralegals.org

Again, a prospective paralegal doesn't have to complete such certification programs. National, professional paralegal organizations such as the NALA and the NFPA have instituted certification programs. By having passed such a certification process, the paralegal has demonstrated his or her competency according to the objective standards by these organizations. So, the paralegal can use the imprimatur of the certification organization to improve upon his or her chances for finding a job. But not every paralegal requires that depth of knowledge, as she or he may need only to focus on a particular topic, such as real estate or business law.

Other organizations interested in the topic of paralegal regulation and certification include the:

American Bar Association
750 N. Lakeshore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 988-5000

or at www.abanet.org

American Association for Paralegal Education
2965 Flowers Road South
Suite 105
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 452-9877

or at www.aafpe.org

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PARALEGAL EDUCATION USING THE INTERNET

What does Internet-based education offer over classroom based education?

On-line education offers the best of classroom teaching without having to go to a classroom. As offered by the PLAT Institute, students will have a chance to study at their own pace. Motivated, self-directed learners will take command of the learning process, selecting the times when they want to learn.

What about having contact with a professor?

Through the use of web-based software, which allows students to meet in a "virtual classroom", students can gain clarification and insight from the instructor on different topics of law. As in college, the faculty will be available, at posted hours during the week, for consultation.

PLAT students can also contact the instructor via e-mail.

How will students get a sense of how well they've come to understand the material?

With on-line testing, students get quicker feedback than in a classroom, since tests are also graded on-line.

Why not take such a program at a local institution?

This kind of on-line education cuts costs. There's no need for the creation of a physical campus, which means a drastic reduction in the expenses incurred to deliver the information. This accounts for the lower costs of this program as opposed to a program offered at a local institution.

At a local institution, students would have to take classes, at a fixed period of time over a specified number of weeks. Adhering to such a schedule often produces scheduling conflicts for the student. The local institutions will also have to maintain the buildings where the education takes place. Students usually would also have to spend time commuting to the local institution.

With on-line education, students get the material, work with the material at a pace which they feel is comfortable for them, and can always engage the instructor, one-on-one or in the "virtual classroom", to get answers to their questions.

Can students communicate with one another in the "virtual classroom"?

They not only can meet there, but the Institute encourages that they meet to discuss the material in the courses. Students often improve their learning when teaching one another about the material. By answering another student's question, a student has to take a different perspective on the material. The student, in having to present the material, treats the material as something active (since they need to be able to explain it to another) rather than something passive (only when the student has to answer questions).

This interactivity among the students reinforces the competency which they develop as they study a subject, so that students come away from the program with active, instead of passive knowledge. Their discussions mean that they've learned how to trust their acquired knowledge, so the practice will prove to be quite useful when using this knowledge when working.

Does this mean that students have to meet in the "virtual classroom"?

No. The flexibility of on-line education means that students select the approach which feels the most comfortable and effective for them. Since all discussions in the "classroom" take place on- line, students may review the discussions at a later time.


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THE PARALEGAL AND LEGAL ASSISTANT TRAINING INSTITUTE (PLAT)


IN GENERAL

How does the PLAT program differ from a pre-law program at a college or university?

If a university has created a pre-law program, the undergraduates would have to take courses in writing and analysis, perhaps on topics in political science, history and English. A pre-law program can prepare an undergraduate to have a more global view of the role of law in our society. Pre-law programs are designed to prepare the student for the intense level of study which students do while in law school

This paralegal program also provides a student with a broad understanding of the law. But the students in this program will focus on the more practical aspects of the law, instead of the theory that law students focus on.


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GRADING AND EVALUATION

What kind of a testing and grading scheme will the Institute use with its students?

For all classes, students will have to complete an open-book, objective, twenty-question, quizzes (often, in the form of multiple-choice questions). Each quiz will be on each chapter of the text for that class.

While students will have to complete written assignments as part of their homework in the Legal Writing class, they will not need to submit it for review and grading.

Why do students need to take these kinds of tests?

Students need to take tests as a means of reinforcing the knowledge which they've just gained. Doing these timed exams as open-book exercises mean that students will be able to verify their answers. Students will also learn that it becomes impractical to expect to answer the questions within the time frame in which they are offered only by looking up the answers. The tests will require students to apply their knowledge.

So there's more to the open-book testing than just opening the book and answering the questions?

Yes. Prepare for these quizzes as though you're taking a closed book exam. Review the course material, paying attention to new terms introduced in the chapter, as well as to the concepts and topics for that chapter. By preparing in this way, students will have already started to organize the material. They will be engaging in active, instead of passive, learning.

Then what's the point to having these as open book quizzes?

By having access to the material in the text, students won't feel as though they have to memorize the material. Instead of just memorizing the material, the quizzes give students a chance to see how that material fits within a larger context.

How about grading?

Student grades will be issued on a scale of 0-100. With the objective testing, students will need to get 14 correct out of the twenty questions per chapter.

Does that mean that the quizzes bear some impact on earning the Certificate of Completion from the PLAT Institute?

Yes. The Institute wants to recognize the efforts of its students by setting minimum standards of quality. Students will need to average a grade of 70, on all the topics, in each class, before receiving the certificate. Any student who has less than a 70 average, by the time of completion of the class, will not get that certificate.

How does a student get that certificate if the student has, overall, an average below 70?

The student will need to retake so many classes as is necessary to bring up the student's average to a 70. Students may not want to or need to get the certificate of completion. Receipt of the Institute's certificate of completion occurs only after a student has demonstrated a certain level of competency about a title.
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