Paralegal Blog

Skepticism. Acceptance. Preference. Necessity.
The advancement of distance education at Center for Advanced Legal Studies

Over the past 15 years, we have witnessed the rise of distance education and its progression from being viewed with skepticism to acceptance, from acceptance to preference, and now, from preference to necessity. In 2006, no one at Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS) imagined that in little more than a decade we would go from having a few hundred campus-based paralegal students, with none online, to having no campus-based students and over two hundred online.

Unlike many educational institutions who scrambled to implement virtual learning as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, CALS was able to migrate all its campus-based students to online delivery in less than a weekend. It helped that by March 2020 five out of six students at CALS were already taking their classes online. The skepticism many previously felt regarding online classes had long since shifted to a strong preference for them, and those who selected campus-based classes chose them more as a matter of personal preference and convenience than from any concern over the effectiveness of distance learning. We miss being on campus and seeing our students, and we know they feel the same, but we continue to successfully educate and train students to become paralegals, just as we have since 1987.

At some point in their career, every working professional has made a mistake that shined the performance spotlight on them front and center. Typical mistakes made by new - and experienced - paralegals include misfiling documents, missing deadlines due to poor calendaring practices, failing to proofread for typos, inaccurately recording billable time, and coming to client meetings unprepared. And let’s face it…we’ve all sent that cringeworthy email to an unintended recipient. We’ve all ended an important call by accidentally hanging up. 

Colossal gaffes that result in termination are rare, but errors made by paralegals and legal assistants can have significant consequences and rippling impacts on a law firm, up to and including a claim for malpractice. While this may be an extreme outcome, it is important to understand that each practice is responsible for inaccuracies or omissions made by its’ legal staff. Mistakes can seriously harm a case, lead to an unfavorable court ruling, and cause major setbacks. 

The magic number between what a candidate is seeking and what a potential employer is willing to pay is often impacted by factors that are not related to direct experience, relevant education, or matching skills. Compensation is typically more dependent upon labor market conditions, geographic location, company size, and organizational budget than a job seeker’s background and qualifications. Salary structures will also vary between companies offering benefits and perks versus those offering none.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every business across the U.S. and globally, dramatically changing the recruiting and hiring landscape. The long-term impacts on the workforce are unknown, but it is still possible to conduct a successful job search. Here are five ways you can thrive during this crisis and get hired.

CALS remains committed to offering tips, advice, and learning recommendations so that our graduates and job seekers are better prepared to fulfill professional, academic, and personal goals and achieve career success. As a range of containment measures are implemented to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, consider how you can make the best use of your time. The following activities can help you gain valuable work skills to stand out in today's competitive job market.