And also if anyone would know if i decide to do the certificate online studies through another country if it would be regonized here? As paralegal you would not nessary know the laws so maybe it would work?
Thank you for any answers
Hi, would anyone know if is possible to do the paralegal certificate in english somewhere in switzerland? I have only found the information with the schools is in german.
Regardless of if it would be recognised here, how would you get a job with a Swiss Law firm without speaking a Swiss language? All documents and correspondence etc would be in French, German or Italian.
What you mean with recognized?
Any company is free to see your further studies as of relevance or as total rubbish and irrelevant. There is not need to have any particular certificate or education as a paralegal in Switzerland.
Well, from what I see and know, paralegal is not really a profession here, not in the same sense as it is elsewhere.
Legal education is quite different here than in other countries, most notably the US. You study law right away, but don't study something 'random' and go to law school later. After studying law, you're not a lawyer yet, but then have to do a few years of internships and later take the bar.
Bottom line: you're either someone with a law degree, a lawyer or a student/graduate on the way to become a lawyer. Or you're a legal secretary. In between, there's really not that much.
Lastly, needless to say it's quite impossible to become a paralegal here without understanding Swiss law or a Swiss language. The laws are not written in English
There's some Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) that offers a certificate in "Business Law". I have yet to find out what that is exactly... but that's probably the one thing that comes closest to a paralegal "degree" (it's not a degree though!). Not sure you want to waste your money and time on that...
I don't think your certificate will be recognized here, though that shouldn't keep you from applying to jobs anyway. I can see you getting away with English only in a larger MNC or so, but jobs in a relevant field for you will be far and few between.
I work in the legal field and can confirm that German is a requirement for a paralegal. On top of that, you'll also need French. English is greatly appreciated, and often necessary, but you wont get anywhere with English alone.
I know someone who did, as I recall he started out with philosophy. Then he got his Swiss, and later US, law degrees, but he never became a lawyer.
In the US, one can also become a lawyer without a law degree. I know someone who did that as well.
Tom
According to the Swiss Paralegal Association , there are only two Universities that offer accredited paralegal studies. They seem to be in German though. One of them, the ZHAW offers courses and programs in English, if you want to look at them . The other is a distance education University that seems to offer no courses in English.
I do not see the point of doing your paralegal degree abroad, if working here is your goal, because law firms would prefer to hire someone with knowledge of Swiss laws and knowledge of the local language. (unless you work for an American law firm, or a large international one, where the main language is English)
I would apply for either internships at law firms or for administrative jobs at law firms (such as this one http://bit.ly/2hAf60E ) and gain work experience that might eventually give you access to a paralegal job here. At the very minimum, I would invest in a language course though. Most law firms would welcome a fluent English speaker, but without the German (or French, or Italian), other candidates will be more competitive.
Wish you all the best.