Can i get a job becoming a paralegal with a felony charge...

[ksims]

Can i get a job becoming a paralegal with a felony charge?

I have a felony charge for credit card abuse and i want to go to school for paralegal do you think i could get a job i am going to virgina college online and their telling me that i couldn't get a job but it might me that they have different laws

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I'm not sure but I don't believe that there are any limitations to you becoming a paralegal even with a felony on your criminal record, perhaps with one exception being California. But let's take a look at the practicality of the situation versus what the law actually is. Let's say that you can go to paralegal school and complete all your courses, get certified, etc. The question is whether a law firm will hire you - perhaps they might. Are there other skills and licenses that you may not be able to acquire, e.g. becoming a notary. Some states allow a felon to become a notary but there are limited circumstances. For example, take the state of Arizona:

Q: If I was convicted of a felony but have had my civil rights restored, may I become an Arizona Notary Public?
Answer: Perhaps. But you need to send a copy of the court papers restoring your civil rights at the same time you send your application to the Secretary of State's Office. Even if your civil rights have been restored, we may deny you a Notary commission if your felony conviction had a reasonable relationship to the functions of the office of Notary Public.

See Notary Common Questions and Answers

Hopefully this gives you some insight as to the practicality and reality of becoming a paralegal with a felony on your record. Best of luck and I hope things work out for you.