Haven't read this whole thread, but seeing that you're getting an AA in Paralegal, maybe you should check out
National Association of Legal Assistants website. After I got my BA, I spent the next semester taking 18 credits worth of paralegal classes at the local Comm. College. As soon as I completed that, I was eligible to take the CLA exam (Certified Legal Assistany). This is the only national certification exam there is for paralegals. It is not required to have this certification in order to work as a paralegal, but it can help you get a job in the field with little to no experience. Like someone else said, you could get a firm to hire you as an assistant paralegal, or secretary, or clerk even - and then work your way up.
Just saying, I'm not sure how far along you are with paralegal classes, but ask your advisor at the school about the CLA exam, research that website, and you might be able to get away with a semester worth of classes instead of a whole year or two. Good luck!