Legal Assistant/Admin Assistant VS./Or.. Paralegal two year associates degree. See Below>>?

[condan]

I need some serious expert advise from Attorneys preferably. I live in the Mid West for now. Its a super conservative state. Which means the hiring is not great for any job.. let a lone the law field. However.. the economy is and will continue to pick up.

I took a nine months Paralegal certificate program once a long time ago. I did very well. It was interesting. I worked with another Paralegal for a bankruptcy filing business in NJ once. I am needing additional skills. First of all.. my Paralegal Certificate that I received in NJ is that transferable to another state.. as I am in WI now/

My decision is to either take a 15 month flexible legal assistant/admin. Assistant program. Its not accredited. The cost is up there. But.. in retrospect.. I happen to see more ads for legal administration/assistants then Paralegals.

A friend of mine has been a Legal Secretary for over twenty years that has enabled her in this time since be able to have a home built. However.. she is now burnt out.. and confessed to a good friend.. how difficult attorneys can be to work for.

My friends mother was a on the job trained/promoted Paralegal.. and she loved her job. She was able to take the lunches she wanted.. finish up early some ..not all days. She basically worked independently .. on her own. Billable hours . Which... I love working more independently. She even worked at home many days. She had more options then my friend who was a Legal Assistant. There is a county college that has Paralegal two year associate degree program. But.. you have to take a compass test ..which usually means extra classes. Also a typing class or two in order to get up to 50 Words per minute.. and you have to also.. take a Summer intro course and pass... All.. before getting into the two year program. Which pro longs getting out there and into working as a career position. In the mean time.. I have to accept poor .. and low paid wages. Which.. I can't afford to live on a part time job and one like that.

My gut.. tells me to take out the student loans and do the legal assistant course which includes typing and finishes in 15 months. OR... take a Cosmetology program.. which can exceed, 15.00 an hour which is what you start as the legal secretary.. But the pay and hours are stead as a legal secretary IF.... you can find a job OR.. back to back ones easily... if they don't work out.. OR.. if I were to move around.

Which would you choose why/why not?