You’d like to advance your career, and you think becoming a paralegal might be the way to do it. It’s a fast-growing field that offers challenging legal work for go-getters and problem-solvers like you — and the certification process is much faster than for a law degree. Got questions? Read on to know what you can expect as a paralegal.
What Does a Paralegal Do?
Paralegals provide crucial support to lawyers, assisting them in “nearly every facet of the legal profession.” A paralegal might be asked to investigate a case, conduct research, write reports or legal documents, schedule depositions, interview clients, and more. Although paralegals do not practice law or represent clients in court, they are key members of a legal team.
Here’s the official American Bar Association definition:
“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.”
“Substantive legal work” means paralegals are not relegated to clerical tasks. Their duties require both analysis and a solid foundation of legal concepts. Some paralegals even specialize in a particular area, such as estate planning and probate or immigration law.
Where Do Paralegals Work?
Many paralegals work in:
- Law firms
- Government agencies
- Corporate legal departments
Job duties vary depending on the workplace. A paralegal in a law firm might help prepare a case for trial, a corporate paralegal might draw up an employee contract, and a government paralegal might create a legal information guide.
What Is the Salary and Job Outlook for Paralegals?
In May 2018, the median paralegal salary was $50,940. And it’s a good time to become a paralegal: The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment opportunities for paralegals and legal assistants to “grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026.”
Is My Personality a Good Fit for this Profession?
To determine whether you’d like being a paralegal, take some time to get to know yourself.
- Take the Myers Briggs Type Indicator assessment. You’ll emerge with a better idea of your personality.
- Complete the online O*NET Interest Profiler. In less than 10 minutes, you’ll have an overview of your interests and a list of career recommendations.
You can learn about the typical qualities of paralegals by perusing websites such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET. For example, a good paralegal likely possesses strong communication, computer, and critical thinking skills, and might also be described as being:
- Detail-oriented
- Analytical
- Organized
- Ethical
- Dependable
- Cooperative
- Adaptable
Finally, ask yourself whether aspects of the paralegal job appeal to you.
- Do you find legal concepts interesting? As a paralegal, you will be required to keep up with legal nuances and recent changes to laws.
- Do you enjoy writing? You will likely be doing a lot of it, whether writing reports or drafting documents such as mortgages and shareholder agreements.
- Are you efficient? You will be responsible for maintaining files.
- Are you willing to work longer hours? Sometimes you may need to log more than a 40-hour week to meet deadlines, and new paralegals may be required to work up to 90 hours a week.
- Can you tolerate some job-related stress? Being a paralegal involves keeping your cool while handling stressful situations.
- Do you have strong people skills? Building relationships with clients would be an essential part of your career.
- Do you want to enact change in your society? As a paralegal, you can make a positive difference in people’s lives, especially if you work at a nonprofit or for a community legal organization.
How Can I Learn More About this Career?
Reading this article is a good first step in researching the paralegal profession. Next, you can try:
- Reaching out to paralegal associations. The American Alliance of Paralegals and the National Association of Legal Assistants may be able to provide more information or direct you to a paralegal in your area.
- Contacting a paralegal certificate program. If you tell them you’re interested in this field, most programs will be happy to connect you with faculty who can tell you more.
How Do I Become a Paralegal?
If you’ve decided the paralegal profession is right for you, we have good news. It doesn’t take long to become certified in this field. Common education options include:
- An associate degree in paralegal studies
- A certificate in paralegal studies (with a bachelor’s degree in another field)
You can complete many certificate programs within a few months. For example, USF offers a four-month-long Paralegal Certificate Program that covers:
- Legal processes
- Court structure
- Interviewing
- Investigation
- Document preparation
- File maintenance
- Correspondence
- Research
- Writing and analysis
- Substantive topics of law such as torts, contracts, and civil procedure