We recognized Ashworth College for offering one of Top Entry-Level, Pre-Degree Paralegal Certificate Programs, adding them to our list of top recommendations for students in the area.
We were excited to hear from Christen Garcia, faculty member at Ashworth College, who took the time to answer a few questions about how the school works to create a great student experience that helps prepare graduates for a career in the legal field.
Are you finding a lot of career changers in your program looking to get their start in the legal profession?
Christen: Unfortunately, I cannot provide any insight on this.
Paralegals are really getting the respect they deserve these days, and taking on more and more responsibilities on the job. How is this changing the approach to educating new paralegals?
Christen: It is true that paralegals are getting the respect that they deserve. This is because they are taking on more and more responsibility including; Legal research and presentations; client interviews; drafting legal documents; and general law office administration. This has impacted the approach to educating paralegals. Paralegals need training in many different areas. They need to be prepared to take on any task requested by lawyers.
Does the program at your school include an internship and are faculty available to help students find one?
Christen: I don’t believe so but students are provided, however, enrolled students are given access to Ashworth EDGE. Which is an online toolkit that offers step-by-step guidance for building their resume, drafting cover letters, writing thank you notes, and more. After students earn their degree, they can retain their account so they can update their career documents in Ashworth EDGE anytime.
What are some of the things you love most about the paralegal program at your school – the kind of things you’d like future students to know about as they consider their options?
Christen: There are many things that I love about the paralegal program at Ashworth. One of them is
that it provides a well-rounded education for students. The program is a combination of general education core classes and specialized paralegal courses. The second aspect of the program that I love is the convenience. Students study online to obtain job-ready skills in a way that fits into their busy lives.
Check out our full interview series here to see what other professors and faculty are saying about their paralegal programs.