Everyone has questions about the education requirements and professional certification standards for legal support professionals as they start plotting their course into the field.
And invariably, other questions follow … ‘Can I specialize?’ … ‘What’s it like working in a law firm?’ … ‘What can I expect to be paid?’
Everyone needs help finding answers, not to mention a little guidance from people who have traveled different paths into the field and found their niche in a particular area of law.
And that’s where ParalegalEDU.org comes in.
Our Contributors
This project represents the joint effort of up-and-coming paraprofessionals in the field of law, experienced paralegals, and an independent team of web developers that brought the two together to achieve our mission.
Clear answers start with clear questions. We worked closely with up-and-comers to get a real sense of what they want to know before deciding on a paraprofessional career in law, and what questions were left unanswered by other resources. The idea was simply to remove some of the mystery from a career field that has few dedicated resources by starting with peer representatives who could clearly articulate the questions they had about education, certification, scope of practice, and all the related processes.
We then partnered with experts to find answers. As any paralegal will tell you, plenty of questions can be answered with thorough research. Still, we feel strongly that experienced paralegals are in the best position to provide the kind of nuanced answers we know our readers are really looking for.
The consultants that contributed to helping us do just that include …
Gabrielle Crisp is a Certified Legal Professional (CLP) who works for a small firm in Springfield, Missouri where she specializes in family law. Gabrielle holds the honor of being named 2017 Paralegal of the Year for the Springfield area.
Dana Medley-Vogel holds a BS in Medical Technology from Missouri State University and a BS in Paralegal Studies from William Woods University. Dana has been working in the legal field for a decade, primarily in the areas of family law, employment law, civil litigation and personal injury litigation.
Angela M is a master’s-prepared educator turned paralegal with an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies and 11 years experience in litigation. She has more recently gone on to work in a corporate legal department as a contract administrator in business development.
Kristy Russell holds an AAS in Computer Programming and a bachelor’s in Paralegal Studies. She has had a dynamic career, starting out as a docket clerk with the Missouri Office of the Attorney General before moving into civil litigation, family law and estate planning as a paralegal with her current employer.
Dana Fischel holds both the Advanced Certified Paralegal and California Advanced Specialist at Law designations, and also sits on the Board of Directors of ICAP (Inland Counties Association of Paralegals) where she serves as treasurer.
Rose M. Turzak, Esq. is a long-time paralegal who had the ambition to continue her education, earn her Juris Doctorate, take her state bar exam and become an attorney, licensed first in Ohio then in Pennsylvania.
What We Offer Here at ParalegalEDU.org
Together this team has created some very useful guides and resources, and continues to add more all the time…