CAN THE SHORT-TERM PROGRAMS TRAIN FUNCTIONAL ENTRY-LEVEL PARALEGALS IN SUCH BRIEF TIME PERIODS?
Both the American Bar Association (ABA) and the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) have set minimum educational standards to train an entry-level paralegal. By any stretch of the imagination, the time periods involved in the “weekend wonders” fall woefully short of the minimum standards set by either AAfPE or the ABA. Both ABA and AAfPE requirements set minimums of 60 total semester hours with 18 semester hours of substantive paralegal classes and 18 semester hours of general education (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours.) A semester hour is typically defined as fifteen sessions of 50 minutes each session. By contrast, the typical length of the short-term programs is equivalent to approximately 6 semester hours. Respected paralegal educators and officers of national paralegal associations have expressed to me their strong belief that functional entry-level paralegals can not be trained in the limited time periods involved in the “weekend wonder” programs. IF
