When you dream of becoming a lawyer, you have to be prepared to face the rigorous requirements of law school. You can be more prepared by initially becoming a paralegal before you enter law school.
Being a lawyer is one of the noblest professions in the world. Attorneys take the cudgels for any injustice done to their clients. If you have been yearning to join the ranks of this esteemed profession, then you might want to consider becoming a paralegal at some prestigious law firm. So why a paralegal? How will this help you prepare for the rigors of law school?
Exposure to Laws and Jurisprudence
As a paralegal, you will gain a wide exposure to the different laws in your state, as well as jurisprudence. The latter refers to decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, which has already become part of the law of the land. If the law firm you are working for is a big one, then your exposure would also be very broad. You will encounter various cases which can involve different disciplines. Thus, when you enter law school, it will no longer be a foreign world but one where you have somehow been immersed for a long time. There are paralegal certificate programs that you can take, says The Center For Legal Studies. Don’t give it a second thought.
Hone Research Skills
As a paralegal, you will be tasked to do the research on laws and jurisprudence that will support the case of your client. The American Bar has stated that one of the core skills you need is good research. With an attorney at the helm, you will learn how to correlate facts to existing laws and court decisions. You will also learn how to filter the pertinent areas of a court decision. These court decisions were penned by justices who do an elaborate explanation as to why they have reached a particular decision. Such lengthy explanation may take up a lot of your research time. But you can trim this down and only extract important aspects. This skill will do much in helping you go through several cases that will be assigned to you when you’re already in law school.
Good Memory Recall
Since you have already spent so many hours researching on laws and jurisprudence, you will eventually attain that high degree of familiarity to different law subjects. You will be familiar with the ins and outs of the civil law, which by itself touches upon so many aspects of day-to-day life. You would also gain a good grasp of criminal law as well as mercantile law. Most important of all is you will have a better understanding of the remedial law, which involves the different court processes. A mastery of remedial law will give you an edge when you take the bar examinations. In addition, as what Berkeley mentioned, you must hone your skills in writing and communication.
If you become a paralegal, you are not only increasing your chances of making it through law school, but you’re actually giving yourself the edge of passing the bar. Take the first step towards achieving your dream as a lawyer.