Want to Be a Legal Assistant or Paralegal? Nab a Scholarship to Help Pay

Cost and the bottom line are uppermost in everyone’s mind, including law firms. In the interest of slashing costs, you can bet law firms are ramping up hiring of paralegals and legal assistants wherever possible. These specialized professionals conduct research, do paperwork, and otherwise engage in the nuts and bolts of the legal business.

What kind of education—tuition bills—will you have to go through to get trained to be a paralegal? Some legal assistants have two-year Associates degrees and others have completed undergraduate degrees. Wherever you choose to study for your paralegal certificate make sure the program has been American Bar Association-approved.

Sources for paralegal scholarships:

  • Private and professional organizations
  • State Bar Associations
  • Colleges and universities

Private and Professional Sources for Paralegal Scholarships

Most notable private sources for paralegal scholarships are the many professional associations dotting the country. Many may only be able to offer a few hundred dollars in scholarship money, but every little bit counts.

  • The National Federation of Paralegal Associations maintains a valuable list of 8 current scholarships, many of them sponsored by leading companies, including Thomson Reuters. Applicants must be pursuing a career in paralegal and a student member of the organization.
  • The Orange County Paralegal Association provides qualified members with a chance to win $500 in scholarship cash to offset the cost of training.

The list of professional sources goes on and on. Check with your local paralegal association and ask about possible scholarships.

State Bar Associations

Paralegals and legal assistants are KEY to the Law industry. They work hand-in-hand with attorneys and without them work would be agonizingly slow and the legal system and cases backed up for years. And since they are such a critical component many of the Bar Associations include scholarships specifically for paralegal professionals. Examples:

  • The North Carolina Bar Association’s Paralegal Division offers varying numbers of scholarships and awards as funding allows. Students are encouraged to check regularly for new financial opportunities.
  • The Maricopa County Bar Association’s Paralegal Division is yet another example of a bar association that take special care to foster the education of its member paralegal students. A handful of student awards are handed out annually.

Colleges and Universities

Schools that provide paralegal training often also offer scholarships. Make sure that your program is ABA-approved. Ask your financial aid personnel to highlight scholarships for which you might qualify.