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Paralegals are in demand! Law firms, corporations, and even
government agencies are hiring paralegals at unprecedented
rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
paralegal field is expected to grow by 22% through 2016, which
means that those who have paralegal degrees will have excellent
job opportunities. Earning a certificate, associate degree,
or even a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies at
an accredited career college will give you the training you
need to compete for these positions.
Job Description
A paralegal performs many of the functions that lawyers used
to. Short of representing clients in court and giving legal
advice, a paralegal does a great deal of work on a case. They
file paperwork for court proceedings and draft correspondence.
They can write legal documents like wills and contracts for
the lawyer to use with her clients.
Paralegals are expected to be expert researchers. Much of
what they do involves researching laws and previous court
cases that are related to their current cases. After digging
through information about judges’ decisions, they make
reports to the lawyers they work for so the lawyer may decide
the next appropriate course of action.
Now that paralegals handle most of the research and office
tasks for lawyers, it means that lawyers can take on more
clients. Companies and law firms can save money by staffing
fewer lawyers and more paralegals to do the behind-the-scenes
work.
While paralegals might come cheaper than lawyers, their salaries
are nothing to sneeze at. In 2008, a paralegal could expect
to earn an average annual salary of $48,790. They also generally
receive excellent benefits packages that include health insurance
and paid vacation time.
How to Become a Paralegal
Most people become paralegals by going to school for an associate
or bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies. In some cases,
students may obtain certificates or diplomas in paralegal
studies, especially if they already hold a college degree.
Paralegal courses will teach you how to draft important legal
documents like prenuptial agreements, divorce paperwork, property
deeds, and motions to be filed in court. A paralegal program
will also teach you how to research relevant laws and important
cases in both law libraries and using industry-standard software
like Westlaw. Through electives, you may be able to specialize
in certain types of law, such as property law, elder law,
contract law, or immigration law. Other paralegal programs
offer an across-the-spectrum survey of legal assisting to
make you versatile in the job market.
Many career colleges offer paralegal degree programs either
on-campus or online. While it is important to make sure that
any college you attend is accredited, the ABA (American Bar
Association) has also developed a set of criteria for evaluating
paralegal programs. You may want to check for ABA approval
before registering for any paralegal program.
There are many career colleges that offer paralegal courses
to choose from. To see these and others, visit the Paralegal
Colleges directory today.
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