Do I need to do LSAT to study paralegal

[dulin]

Hi everybody I would like to do a paralegal studies program ( http://www.cestarcollege.com/courses/la ... paralegal/ ) . While doing a bit of research online I found that it was not necessary to do LSAT. What exam do I need to attend in order to get into a good college . If I change my mind and want to get into law school later on,can I do my LSAT then?is it possible? Any insight on this would be great.

[Adam Tyson]

I'm not aware of any paralegal program that requires the LSAT, dulin, and many programs (such as at a lot of community colleges) require no special entrance exam at all, just a high school diploma. The best advice I have is for you to check with the admissions staff at the schools you are looking at to see what they require. Perhaps the SAT or ACT might be needed for some programs, but most will likely be either geared at Associates Degrees or just Certificate programs with no exam required to get in.

Of course, if you pursue this path for now and later decide to go to law school, you can take the LSAT then. You might want to take it before you decide, because you might get such a great score that you decide to go right to law school instead of a paralegal program, right? But if you know you aren't ready to make that leap, but you want to get into the legal field and test the waters, a paralegal degree or certificate is one way to do that. I have known plenty of paralegals over the years who would make better lawyers than their bosses, and who did all the work that made those bosses look good. I also know more than a few paralegals who are making great money and enjoying their jobs without any of the hassles and stress that lawyers face, and without all the student loan debt either.

One thing is for sure - you don't want to go to law school and THEN choose to be a paralegal later. I've seen it done, up close, and it isn't pretty! Save yourself the time, effort, and money, and do the paralegal thing first if you aren't completely sure that you want to practice law as an attorney.

Good luck, whatever you decide!