Paralegal Career Path
So you've decided that traveling down the paralegal career path may be the route for you. Becoming a paralegal can be both rewarding and lucrative, but it can also be high stress and a lot of work. What you'll find here is an ever-growing collection of information, articles, and other relevant resources to help you on your journey.
Before you embark, there are certain things you may want to consider, such as paralegal duties, paralegal requirements, different paralegal professions, typical paralegal salaries, etc. You will find insight into all of these topics, plus much more, as you navigate around this website.
To begin, we'll answer a few basic questions:
What is a Paralegal?
According to The American Bar Association the definition of a paralegal, or a legal assistant, is as follows:
"A legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible"
In layman terms, a paralegal, sometimes referred to as a legal assistant, is an unlicensed legal professional who works under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Paralegals work in large, mid-sized, and small law firms; federal, state, and local governmental agencies; and corporations and non-profit organizations. There are also freelance and independent paralegals who work as independent contractors for different law firms, teach paralegal studies, or work a series of temporary paralegal jobs.
What Does a Paralegal Do?
A paralegal takes on many of the tasks normally reserved for a licensed attorney, such as drafting legal documents and pleadings, indexing documents and records, summarizing documents, and other research oriented tasks. While a paralegal is able to perform many of the same tasks as a licensed attorney, there are some things that a paralegal is absolutely not allowed to do. For instance, a paralegal is not allowed to present a case in a court hearing or give any type of legal advice to clients.
The majority of time, paralegals will be involved with the organization, summarization, and indexing of legal findings resulting from ongoing research. In addition, they are expected to have superior writing skills, critical thinking abilities, and excellent communication skills.
How Do I Become a Paralegal?
To become a paralegal one must go through a specialized training program or be promoted from within an organization. There are several ways to obtain the proper training, including completing a certificate program at an online or vocational school, receiving an Associate's Degree from a community or junior college, or receiving a Bachelor's Degree from a university.
Increasingly, many reputable paralegal programs are being offered online, making it easier for someone interested in pursuing a career as a paralegal to gain the necessary skills as their schedule permits.
It used to be that attorneys would train paralegals on the job, but the days when that was the norm have long since passed. Attorneys no longer have the time to train paralegals and often expect them to already have some formal legal training. Even if you work for a law firm in a different capacity, such as a law clerk or legal secretary, gaining formal training as a paralegal may be the criteria needed for you to be promoted.
Paralegal Programs
Find the right online Paralegal or Legal Studies
degree program to fit your individual needs.