Why I Have Applied to the Paralegal Studies Program and My Career Goals

Paralegal Studies

I have chosen to apply to the paralegal studies program because that field of study will provide a thorough introduction to the entire legal profession. Naturally, the paralegal program will prepare me to pursue a professional career as a paralegal, a field that I expect will be both intellectually challenging as well as professionally rewarding. Moreover, I understand that the training required of paralegals promotes a comprehensive understanding of the full range or procedures and processes within the legal profession more generally. That training would, understandably, prove invaluable to anybody with future aspirations within the legal profession in virtually any other capacity. In fact, it is my understanding that much of the paralegal preparation in those areas is even more thorough than that received by law school students and a law school graduate with prior training or experience as a paralegal typically is better prepared to enter the real-world practice of law than someone who receives only a law degree.

Similarly, the paralegal curriculum emphasizes legal research methods and procedures in greater depth than most traditional law school curricula. Therefore, I would also expect the skills and experience of the paralegal program to translate very well to a wide range of other fields beyond the practice of law. That is a particularly important aspect of the paralegal program, especially in the current economic and professional environments because it increases the potential employability of paralegal program graduates in many other fields. The ability to think critically and to conduct efficient informational research is a relatively rare set of skills and, therefore, extremely desirable in prospective employees among professional hiring managers.