Paralegal studies -- Which University or TAFE?

scrimshaw on 08/12/2014 - 18:24
Last edited 08/12/2014 - 18:25

I'm planning to study a bit of law so that I can be certified to work as a paralegal or conveyancer. I live in the Sydney area, and I'm geographically close to UWS Parramatta and Macquarie uni. However they seem to only offer post-grad and undergrad courses, and not the 2 year associate degree / Diploma I was looking for.

Vic Uni offers it and so does RMIT but no university near me does it, so it leaves me with TAFE Syd as the only option?

Anyone been down this path and can recommend a specific institute?

Education & Work

Comments

  • Geewhizz on 15/12/2014 - 06:20

    DON'T go through one of the private colleges. My stepson did that a couple of years ago, to come out the other end finding that he had no recognised qualifications.

    • scrimshaw on 15/12/2014 - 09:15

      Thanks. Yeah, I know of many people with pvt college education which amounts to nothing but a scrap piece of paper.

      I have dropped the idea altogether — there are so many law grads from university with bachelor degrees and they can't find a job either. I will just be another guy with a Diploma and wouldn't have a chance among them.

      Guess I will work my minimum wage job until the age of 30 Lol.

  • altomic on 22/12/2014 - 01:35

    I've been working in the legal industry for the last 8 years. the first 2 years as a paralegal in private practices and then for a government legal service. I have no legal qualifications but experience. I moved in to being a paralegal after working as a claims manager for Vic Worksafe. the law firm liked that I had experience with the legislation. the lawyer I was assisting stated on my first day that he had no experience or knowledge of Vic workers compensation legislation and that I would do all the work and he would sign off on it. which was fine as it is not complicated and I understood it. I use to represent Clients in arbitration meetings with a 100% success rate.

    my suggestion is to try to get in to a law firm or parallel industry to gain the knowledge so you can transfer over.

    mind you, paralegals get paid crap. my current salary is nearly double of what I was getting as when I started as a paralegal (though in a regional area)

  • [Deactivated] on 22/12/2014 - 01:56

    What's the point in being someone's underpayed bitch? Just study a law degree and get payed properly. You don't have to be a lawyer with a law degree, but it opens doors. If you have an undergrad already you can get a law degree in 2 years doing a JD.

  • lisss on 07/01/2015 - 20:01

    I don't know if I'd bother with a course, you can start as a legal secretary with a company that's willing to let you do paralegal work and just get training through them. Smaller firms in particular are likely to have overlap in roles. I don't know why you'd want to work with lawyers though, I'd seriously reconsider.

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