Most people are aware that lawyers often need to complete continuing legal education requirements in order to continue practicing law. However, they aren’t the only ones in the legal profession that must take these courses. Paralegals must also take these continuing legal education online courses to ensure they are able to help clients as well. Failure to take these classes can have a negative impact on the career of a paralegal.
While paralegals aren’t the ones who will represent the client in court, they are often responsible for much of the legwork involved in a court case. Clients should be able to speak with the paralegal to get answers to questions. The lawyer will also often ask the paralegal to complete paperwork or do some of the research for the case. This means a paralegal must be familiar with many of the areas of law, just like a lawyer would.
One of the most important reasons a paralegal must complete continuing legal education online requirements is to help protect the clients. The clients come to a law office with the confidence that the legal team will represent them in the fairest way possible with the goal of a positive outcome. If a law firm has paralegals that aren’t trained in the latest law changes or who don’t know what they are doing, the client will not be happy. When someone who is uninformed works on a case, justice is often not served properly.
While it is the responsibility of the paralegal to complete the requirements, it is up to the lawyers to ensure the paralegals they hire are up to date on their requirements. In most cases, the fault will fall on the lawyers just as much as the paralegals. This is why it is so important for lawyers to make sure everyone who works in their office does what they need to each year to maintain the ability to work in the legal field.
Anyone who works in the legal field, including paralegals, must complete continuing legal education online in order to maintain their career. A paralegal often works closely with the client, which means he must know the laws well and how to apply them. The client is placing all their hope in the law firm and everyone who works there to serve him to the best of their ability. Without continuing education, that can’t happen.
