No. A paralegal is a position in a law firm unto itself. Paralegal Programs are typically “Certificate Programs” lasting 1-2 years and either confer an Associate Degree or no degree. The USD program does not confer a degree, nor were the (500 level) classes I took worth credits at any university. It is an occupational certificate program, requiring a bachelor’s degree to enter it. I didn’t have to produce one because I had letters from the required number of attorneys stating that I had X amount of experience in the field and knew what I was doing.
I have never been to law school but could very well possibly pass the CA bar exam . . . with a bit of studying beforehand, of course. In any case, I would not be allowed to sit for it and that ship sailed long ago.[/quote]
So it doesn’t sound like their are very many barriers to entry. You have heard of the law of supply and demand? More supply than demand and it’s gonna be a lot of competition. Also, I apologize but with that resume it doesn’t seem like you would be on the top of most lists unless you knew someone that could give you a try. So I apologize, my prior statement comparing the paralegal position to an accountant would probably be better compared to a bookkeeper. Nothing wrong with either and they could do well working for themselves, but it’s a tough position to apply for in the corporate world with all that competition and no referral from a partner. BTW, I also question your last statement about your ability to pass the bar exam. I’m sure their are very good paralegals, but you can’t compare that to someone that has been practicing. I also hope that you didn’t tell that to people when you interviewed with them. It probably would be akin to a bookkeeper saying they could pass the CPA exam because they’ve been doing journal entries for 30 years.
