Legal Assistant/Paralegal Career and Education Information

No registration or licensing requirements exist in Oklahoma for paralegals. Since paralegals are not regulated, the supervising attorney remains responsible for the paralegal’s conduct and work product.

The Oklahoma Bar Association does not maintain a job bank for paralegals. The Oklahoma County Bar Association has employment services available to attorneys for job placement of law office staff. While most paralegals are employed by private law firms, many are employed by federal, state, and local governments, corporate legal departments, banks, courts, insurance companies, real estate closing companies and others.

The Oklahoma Bar Association does not approve or rank legal assistant education programs. To assist attorneys in the providing of legal services, paralegals are required to have knowledge of the law and the legal system. Most employers generally require formal paralegal training. Educational programs vary and most are offered through certificate programs and associate and baccalaureate degree programs. Many programs are approved by the American Bar Association and are members of the American Association for Paralegal Education. Paralegals are expected to keep abreast of new developments in the law and are usually encouraged to participate in continuing legal education.

The following provide links to search career information and the more than 800 formal paralegal training programs nationwide at institutions of higher learning including information on how to choose a paralegal program.

Paralegal Career Information

What Do Paralegals Do

Oklahoma Paralegal Educational Programs