Are court cases as fascinating to you as fictional television dramas are to others? Would you search the web for hours to find an elusive piece of information just to prove a point? Do you have a reputation as an organizational wiz? If you answered yes, yes, and yes—and you’re looking for a new career—you can put your skills to work as a paralegal.
Paralegals assist lawyers by conducting legal research, drafting documents, organizing case files, and performing other administrative duties. They are the foot soldiers of the legal profession who pave the way for attorneys to practice law. The need for paralegals is on the rise because businesses and organizations of all sizes are attempting to reduce their expenses by handing out more routine legal processes to paralegals whose time is not quite as expensive as an attorney’s time is.
Best of all, a paralegal is one of the most accessible careers in the job market! Recent applicants to Kaplan University’s paralegal degree and certificate programs, for instance, have professional backgrounds that range from bus drivers and strawberry pickers to general managers and systems analysts. Choosing paralegal as your second career gives you more skills and experience to bring to the job, making you a more valuable employee.
What Paralegals Do
Paralegals help lawyers prepare for hearings, trials, and corporate meetings by performing any of the following duties:
Investigate the facts of a case
Conduct research on relevant laws, regulations, and legal articles
Organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing systems
Gather and arrange evidence and other legal documents for attorney review and case preparation
Write reports to help lawyers prepare for trials
Draft correspondence and legal documents, such as contracts and mortgages
Get affidavits and other formal statements that may be used as evidence in court
Help lawyers during trials by handling exhibits, taking notes, or reviewing trial transcripts
File exhibits, briefs, appeals, and other legal documents with the court or opposing counsel
Call clients, witnesses, lawyers, and outside vendors to schedule interviews, meetings, and depositions
Education You’ll Need
Paralegals can be trained on the job, but with competition for paralegal jobs heating up, those with formal training are in demand. Most paralegals have earned a two-year associate’s degree, but if you already have a bachelor’s degree in another field, you can earn a paralegal postbaccalaureate certificate in even less time. There are also bachelor’s degree programs available for paralegal studies, and you can attend programs at public, private, or online schools.
[Check out 12 College Scholarships for Adult Learners.]
Skills to Succeed
Paralegals need to be avid readers and researchers who can find, sort, and organize the materials that lawyers need to prepare documents and case files. Be prepared to spend many hours searching through law libraries and courthouse files. You should also be trained in using digital law-research databases and be proficient in many kinds of office software, including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation programs. Know how to write, multitask, and communicate with clients and other legal team members.
In the Workplace
The median annual salary for paralegals is $46,990, and the job growth is faster than average.* Most paralegals are employed by law offices, but other places of work include corporate legal departments, government agencies, finance and insurance firms, consulting firms, and health care providers.
Paralegals typically work a 40-hour week, but overtime is not uncommon when deadlines are looming. Paralegals who work for smaller organizations perform a larger variety of duties, while those who work for larger firms specialize in a just a few activities, such as researching past cases or organizing evidence for hearings.
Specializations
Many lawyers specialize in particular areas of the law, and paralegals can do the same. If you already have and area of expertise from a previous career, that can make you a particularly attractive hire.
Here are some of the areas of specialization that might be of interest to you as you move forward in your paralegal career:
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Entertainment Law
International Law
Animal Law
Environmental Law
Litigation Paralegal
Aviation Law
Estate Planning
Nurse Paralegal
Bankruptcy Law
Family Law
Paralegal Specialist in Gov.
Business Law
Freelance Paralegal
Patent Law
Civil Litigation
Immigration Law
Personal Injury Law
Civil Rights Law
Insurance Law
Real Estate Law
Employment Law
Intellectual Property Law
Tort Law
Paralegals are sometimes called legal assistants, but while the terms have been used interchangeably for some time, there is now a trend toward differentiating them. ‘Paralegals’ refers to formally educated or certified employees, while ‘legal assistants’ refers to legal secretaries and paralegal assistants who perform less substantive roles.
There are very few barriers to becoming a paralegal, and it is a rewarding career for the right types of people. Whether you choose to earn a certificate or a degree, getting some experience in a law firm or legal department is also a good idea. Look for internships or volunteer opportunities while you study, and highlight any previous experience you bring to the table when you seek your first job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Experienced, formally trained paralegals with strong computer and database management skills should have the best job prospects.”
(*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)