Paralegal Careers
Should you investigate paralegal careers? Are You:
• Interested in legal work? • Reluctant to enroll in law school? • Not sure if you want to invest the time and money? Don’t worry! Choose among many paralegal careers to find the one for you. As one of the fastest growing careers in the US, you will have many options at your disposal. Work Environment Paralegals assist lawyers in all aspect of legal work and perform task in law offices similar to lawyers. They are prohibited from setting legal fees, giving legal advice and presenting cases in court. With an online paralegal degree you would help lawyers prepare for closing, hearings, trials, and meetings. You would investigate cases to make sure all relevant information was considered, research laws, judicial decisions, and legal articles, prepare written reports, draft pleadings and motions as well as locate witnesses, obtain affidavits and provide trail assistance. With today’s growing dependency on the Internet, you would most likely search online databases to retrieve, organize and index various relevant legal materials. Paralegal careers lead to employment in law firms, corporate legal departments, and government offices. Depending on your paralegal training and area of specialization, you may work in litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law and real estate. Most paralegal school graduates work a standard 40-hour week. However, those who work in law firms can work long hours to meet pressing deadlines. While most paralegals are employed year round, some work only during busy times of the year. Paralegal Education – What does Paralegal Training Entail? There are several paralegal degree online programs to choose from. The most common are associate’s and certificate programs offered by community colleges. A smaller number of paralegal schools offer bachelors and masters degrees in paralegal studies. Finally, some employers train paralegals on the job, however, this practice is becoming less common as the paralegal profession is becoming more complex. For more details on paralegal degree online programs visit Paralegal Education (link to paralegal education page). Job Outlooks for Paralegal Careers
According to the US Department of Labor, employment of paralegals is expected to grow faster than average between 2006-2016. Since paralegals are performing a greater variety of duties and assuming more responsibility, they are becoming extremely useful to businesses. As the number of private law firms, corporate legal departments, insurance companies, real estate and title insurance firms keeps growing, so will the demand on paralegal degree holders. Job opportunities are also expected to grow in Federal, State and local government agencies as well as the courts. While job prospect for those with paralegal training is expected to grow, so will the number of applicants thus crating competition for employment. Higher level of education and more experience will give you the edge you need over your competition.
Earnings vary greatly for those with a paralegal degree. Like in any profession, salaries depend on the level of paralegal education, paralegal training, experience, type and size of employer as well as location. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic, in 2006 the median salary for paralegals was $43,040. The median salary for those employed in the federal government was $56,080, companies and enterprises was $52,220, local government was $42,170, legal services $41,460 and state government was $38,020. Keep in mind that in addition to receiving a salary, paralegals receive bonuses for overtime work, vacation, paid sick leave, 401 savings plan as well as reimbursement for continuing legal education.
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