Cajun, that's a good point that HR people are on the periphery of legal work with all the various laws and regulations they have to keep in mind.  I bet if you do that for a while you can parlay that into being a competitive applicant for positions as a legal assistant.

-=Steve=-

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B.S., Info Sys, Charter Oak State College
M.A., Educational Tech Leadership, George Washington University
Doctor of Health Education, A.T. Still University, in progress

Steve and Cajun, that's very true, some HR positions work closely with the law.  I went with the Paralegal ceritification a few years ago because, well, it was quick and easy.  I like research and paperwork (yes, I know I'm a weirdo) so thought it would fit.  But I've been contemplating a change for months, but didn't want to leave my comfort zone.  I'm looking at this newest turn of events as a kick in the butt to change.  For many years I've thought about going into training so maybe I'll go in that direction.  Many of the trainers at my current company hold Business.HR degrees. Or, I can help handle employee relations, hiring, benefits, etc.  I looked into the Kaplan program (thanks, Steve) in Business Adminstration with HR concentration.  That seems to cover a lot of bases so I can go into plenty of different areas with it.  I found Paralegal to be pretty limiting.  So, I'm enrolled in the Business classes at Kaplan to begin July 29th.  YAY, excited!

congratualtions untilTexan!  I graduate from Kaplan on the 21st of this month, so you will start the term immediately after the one I'm in now. 

However, I must add that I don't necessarily agree that a paralegal degree is more limiting than a business degree.  With a paralegal degree, there are many non-legal jobs you can get into.  Plus, there are far more college students majoring in business than paralegal studies, so there is a good chance that your competition for a job (assuming you plan to leave your current employer) will be stiff.  I thought about getting a business degree, but then I asked myself what I am going to do with a degree that almost everyone else has.  With a paralegal degree, I can stand out from the crowd better and if I need a business education, I can always get an MBA.

However, do what is best for your situation.  If you think a busienss degree is the best option, then go for it!