Paralegals and Secretaries - An Exploration of Earnings

Income for paralegals and legal assistants varies, depending on education and training, work experience, geographic location, and the employer by size and type. Typically, paralegals working for large metropolitan law firms earn more in salary and benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Labor in May 2004, ?full-time wage and salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $39,130. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $49,950. The top 10 percent earned more than $61,390, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $25,360.? In addition to their salary, many paralegals receive bonuses. It is unclear whether bonus reporting was included in the statistics; if not, those earnings would rise even higher.

Continuing with the Department of Labor statistics: ?Median annual earnings of legal secretaries were $36,720 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $29,070 and $46,390. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,270, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $56,590.?

Thus, by comparison, paralegals have greater opportunity to earn a higher salary than legal secretaries.

Do legal secretaries earn approximately the same as other types of secretaries? No, it is higher. Referring back to Department of Labor compilations: ?Medical secretaries earned a median annual salary of $26,540 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $21,980 and $32,690. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $39,140. Median annual earnings of secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive, were $26,110 in May 2004.?

Let?s compare the median annual salaries:

Paralegals - $31,040 to $49,950
Legal Secretaries - $29,070 to $46,390
Medical Secretaries - $21,980 to $32,690
Secretaries (Except Legal, Medical and Executive) - $26,110

Which type of position is more attractive based on salary?

It is highly advisable for young people to earn college educations. Competition for jobs is fierce, and particularly with current technological advances, higher education is just plain required to land career jobs. Players in the game of Life who go straight to work rather than the college route, in reality, may wind up with dead-end jobs and victims of the saying, ?he worked until the day he died.?

With paralegal salaries registering at a higher rung than the other office positions, it is reasonable that legal assistants would more than likely require the most education and training. Employers hiring any of the above positions may consider candidates with general course work, but specialized training would naturally be given greater consideration. Specialized training suggests a new hire will pick up the work ball already running. This may also be less costly to the employer during in-house training.

Explore your opportunities for higher education, and consider a career as a paralegal. Salaries are good. The work is interesting. With advancement potential, a paralegal career is an excellent choice. Is it the right one for you?

Are you fascinated by trials? Do you like helping people? A career as a Paralegal is challenging, rewarding, and NEVER boring. Sign up for free newsletters that show you how to step into this exciting career. Adventures await you....

http://www.paralegalsecretary.bravehost.com

Laura McDonald is a paralegal. She is a member of NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations). Laura is experienced in the areas of personal injury, civil litigation, family, environmental and corporate law, estate planning and bankruptcy. She works for Michael L. Hawkins & Associates, P.L.L.C., located in Frankfort, Kentucky. The firm's website is http://www.mlhlawky.com

Paralegal Seminars

Paralegal training courses, paralegal training seminars and train-the-trainer programs are important for all paralegals, also called legal assistants. A paralegal?s jobs include helping attorneys prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. The paralegal occupation is now a reputable and popular career path. This legal profession is rated as one of the fastest growing careers in the United States.

Students who enroll in one of several paralegal certificate programs must take a declared number of courses, including core courses and specialty law courses. Besides the courses, students must attend many mandatory paralegal seminars. All seminar programs are designed to meet an individual?s training needs as a paralegal, legal assistant or legal secretary. The seminars are normally taken by practicing attorneys, judges and paralegals who are highly appreciated in their field.

The paralegals must be smart to record and present their observations and opinions to their supervising lawyer. For this, they need to know all related legal terms and have good analytical skills. Besides, they are ready to learn new developments in the laws that influence their area of practice. Participation in continuing paralegal education seminars help paralegals maintain and increase their knowledge of the law. Seminars such as discovery skills for legal staff, document production and organization, and litigation skills for legal staff are just some of the insightful topics available.

Many organizations provide custom or onsite seminars for paralegals in the United States. If you are searching for a one-day live seminar or a customized training session to bring to your office, consider National Business Institute, Lorman Education Services, HalfMoon Seminars and National Association of Legal Assistants; all are the nation?s best organizations for paralegals. They provide several carefully designed seminar programs that help you stay current on existing laws and legislation that influence your practice.

Paralegal provides detailed information on Paralegal, Paralegal Jobs, Paralegal Schools, Paralegal Training and more. Paralegal is affiliated with Notary Public Supplies.

Paralegal Job Outlook - Stagnant or Full Steam Ahead?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for paralegals is very good, with an expected growth rate near 33 percent a year through 2010. The bureau notes that compared to other professions, the leap in the paralegal field is dramatic.

The paralegal or legal assistant profession is expected to grow because of a couple of economic factors. One, more law firms are hiring paralegals to do some of the necessary legwork - research and paper work on their behalf. This frees up the attorney for court appearances and for developing client-attorney relationships, two duties a paralegal is not allowed to do. Two, having a paralegal do the work rather than an expensive paid by the hour attorney saves the client money.

Law firms are not the only agencies that hire paralegals or legal assistants. Many corporations, businesses and non profit agencies have also seen the benefit of having a paralegal on staff. If you are considering a career as a legal assistant, keep that in mind and do not narrow your job search only to law firms or private attorneys - unless, of course, your passion is to work for a law office or directly for an attorney.

While the paralegal job market looks great, competition to participate in the paralegal field will be increasingly stiff. With competition growing, the best way to make yourself marketable in the field is to get all the training you possibly can. Once upon a time, legal assistants were trained on the job. There was not professional training other than clerical training that would prepare a person for a career as a paralegal. Many of those paralegals are retiring these days, having been hired in the 1960s or 1970s when the paralegal field really began. Now, the lawyers and firms they have been working for over the last 20 some odd years want their replacements to be trained and ready to work.

Getting training for a career as a legal assistant is convenient, even for those people who have other jobs who want to train in their spare time for a paralegal career. Many community colleges offer paralegal training certification in two year study programs. Some colleges and universities offer paralegal training as part of a four year course of study. Even more opportunities exist online and through correspondence courses. Research all your options and weed out the ones that just don't make sense for you. When you take time to look at all the training possibilities available, you will see that there is course work available to fit your time and budget constraints.

Of course, even with training and certification as a paralegal, you will still have to get in sync with your boss, whether working for an individual attorney, a firm, or as a paralegal in the business sector. Getting to know the expectations of your job and your role as a paralegal in the office in which you work will also play a factor in your success in your career as a legal assistant.

Visit online paralegal training | paralegal training or nfpa for more information on a Paralegal Career.

Important Points To Note For An Independent Paralegal

Despite the ever-increasing demand for legal services that far exceeds that which lawyers can provide, paralegals have their work cut out for them. Why? Because lawyers have always been firmly in charge and paralegals, whose work encompasses most of a lawyers duties, are naturally perceived as competition. More so with independent paralegals, who work without direct supervision from an attorney at law.

What is an Independent Paralegal?

An independent paralegal is called such precisely because he is independent of lawyer supervision. As a freelancer, the independent paralegal can expect his job to require a lot of tenacity, determination, thick skin, business knowledge and the means to sustain himself while still starting.

Nature of the Work

If you plan on becoming an independent paralegal yourself, then be prepared to do not only a paralegals job but also the responsibilities of a business owner, such as running a business and having assets, liabilities, insurance, employees, payroll, among others.

Those who are only starting a paralegal career are not advised to go immediately into independent paralegal work. Thats because, by its very nature, the paralegal profession requires extensive knowledge about substantive and procedural law, legal concepts, and other pertinent portions of the legal system. Someone who has no previous experience in paralegal work will have a hard time keeping up with all the challenges and changes going on.

Working on your own requires that you are already seasoned in paralegal work in the sense that you have good working knowledge of the nuances of the job, including knowledge of the law, office procedure and law office management.

The Drawbacks

One of the major drawbacks of working as an independent paralegal is the isolation you might feel. This is especially true if you came from a large office. You may find it an extremely novel experience working alone for the first time. Where before you had the advantage of that big law library in your office, now you will have to deal with whatever changes going on, such as rule changes, changes in legislation and changes in case law, on your own.

Another drawback is the fact that you are your own boss now, which means that if you want to earn more money, then you would have to put in more hours of work. Also, the lack of benefits could be discouraging no health insurance, vacation time or sick days.

The Advantages

While there are indeed many drawbacks to working as an independent paralegal, there are also several advantages. In the case of isolation in your work, this only occurs in the beginning. As you grow, you may find yourself hiring more people to work for you, from legal secretaries to law office clerks, office managers, and the like.

The lack of library resources can also be recompensed with todays Internet technology. Plus, there is nothing comparable to that feeling of owning a business which you made successful through your own efforts.

Read More On Independent Paralegal or click http://onlineparalegaltraininghomestudy.com/

Basic Practical Steps On How To Become A Paralegal

The paralegal profession is not for everyone who would want to join it. It is a profession suitable only for those people who are willing to undergo a lot of pressure in their work. Yes, a college degree and decent grades make you qualified to be an entry level paralegal. But the question is: will you survive the job? So if you are one of those who are determined to be in this profession, here are some practical tips on how to become a paralegal:

1. Make sure you really want to be a Paralegal. It is not enough that you find the term paralegal appealing and nice to hear. The work and duties of a paralegal appealing they may be, could also be chaotic as one goes through volumes of paper and documentation most of the day. As a paralegal, majority of your working hours is spent in performing administrative tasks such as filing, retrieving and organizing documents, photocopying and endless numbering of many pages. Definitely a daunting task if one is not trained properly. The expected duties of a paralegal will depend on the legal needs and situation of the employer. There are times that when taking a break from hole punching, you may get to participate in more spectacular task of interviewing witnesses on a certain case. If it still sounds appealing for you then you may continue reading the practical steps on how to become a paralegal.

2. Obtain a paralegal education. Obtaining a paralegal education is the basic foundation on how to become a paralegal. As of today, there are various institutions that offer education programs for those who want to work as a paralegal. The most common programs are Associate Degree Programs, Bachelor Degree Programs, Certificate Programs and Masters Degree Programs. There are also free online programs on how to become a paralegal. In addition, you could also purchase books on how to become a paralegal, usually advertised on the internet

3. Prepare your comprehensive resume and cover letter. The cover letter and resume you would need to apply as paralegals are no different than ones you would use for any job. One should never take for granted the construction of his resume because a resume should reflect ones strength and skills, even personality. For guide, the format of resume must catch the attention of the reader.

4. Find your ideal place of work. . After you have prepared your resume and you think that youre now ready to enter the field of paralegals, give some thought on where you will apply. You could always search the internet for some places of paralegal employment. Once you have a deeper understanding on the different facets of the paralegal world, you are then able to move ahead in the right direction.

Read More On How to become a Paralegal or http://onlineparalegaltraininghomestudy.com

Online Paralegal Degree - Never Leave Your Home

Do you feel that the judicial branch of our government has been turned into a mockery of the system engaging in activities antithetical to their original intent by activist judges and apathetic legislators who stand by idly while one of the three pillars of the nation's government slowly cripples the society that it was created to serve? Then perhaps an online paralegal degree is for you.

A career as a paralegal is an integral one in the legal process of our country. You will be assisting courts and law firms prepare for cases by researching, drafting legal documents, doing appraisals, working with court procedures, and other essential functions. All of these skills can be taught to you through an online paralegal degree course. When you finish you will be ready to start your new career, that will offer you both a daily challenge and satisfaction that you are contributing greatly to an important sector of society.

Another reason why getting started on an online paralegal degree at this point is because of the ability to really focus in on an area that interests you the most. The reason for this is due to the fact that the legal field has become very specialized. Many lawyers, and even courts, have begun to work strictly on cases in their specific field. This way if you have an interest in domestic, criminal, corporate, environmental or many other areas of law, you can work exclusively in this area. And online paralegal degrees allow you to specialize in your field of interest, so you'll be ready to obtain a job that works directly with your interests.

The online paralegal degree programs are waiting for you, as is the desperately ignored judicial system. Get out there and make a difference in your life and in society.

Important Paralegal Services

Paralegals are legal assistants who spend most of their time helping to manage the massive paperwork generated by legal proceedings. Paralegals file, sort, index, photocopy, and draft legal documents. They may also hold hearings and interview witnesses. Most entry-level paralegals should have a bachelor?s degree, and additional certification may increase employment opportunities. The duties of a paralegal depend on the firm for which the paralegal works and the educational training and experience of the paralegal.

Many of the paralegal?s services are performed directly for the benefit of a lawyer, businessperson, or government employee. These services assist the employer with his or her duties. A paralegal may also work directly with the lawyer?s clients, drafting necessary contracts and paperwork. Some paralegals, however, provide legal services for people who cannot afford full legal services. Typical paralegal services include preparing all types of court documents, planning finances, including estates with will and trust plans, and corporate services.

Paralegals prepare a number of court documents, such as motions, briefs, and depositions. Motions petition the trial judge for particular rulings favorable to the lawyer?s team. Briefs are reports that describe and support the motion. Depositions consist of interviews of witnesses before the trial begins. All these documents must be indexed and organized, and often must be entered into a computer, by the paralegal.

With proper training, paralegals may draft wills and trusts, separation agreements, and mortgages. Paralegal services may extend into real estate by helping prepare tax returns and planning estates.

Paralegals with more business training working in a corporate environment may help handle bankruptcies filings, shareholder agreements, stock option plans, benefit plans, or tax returns. Some may keep finance records for the law firm. Others may help oversee business contracts.

Since paralegal services often involve paperwork, it is critical that a paralegal also be experienced in organizing and sorting information, as well as conducting research and interviews. Additional training in all these skills is available at colleges, universities, and online training programs.
 

Trademark Logos

 Logos are symbols that represent something. It is usually a company, product or brand. Logos help the company to register a particular image in a person?s mind about the company. For this, the logo has to be attractive, unique, and functional. It should also represent the company?s image well.

Trademark logos are those logos that distinctly represent a company?s intellectual property. Logos are generally trademarked, in the sense that they cannot be used by anyone else. Sometimes, the logo acts as a trademark for the brand or the company itself. The trademark is generally represented by a ? symbol, which confers certain rights to it. However, trademarks are not registered with the government trademarks office. When they are registered, they become a registered (?) mark. A trademark logo confers certain rights on the owner: exclusive use of the mark and ability to lease out or franchise the mark to some other party. Trademark logos are regulated by the jurisdictions of the particular state or country.

There are many kinds of trademark logos: combination (icon and text); logotype/wordmark/lettermark (text or abbreviated text) and icon (symbol/brandmark). A trademark logo can contain just symbols, or both words and symbols. It may or may not contain the company?s name, but having the company?s name is an advantage. Some logos have just a part of the company?s name or just one letter, for example Y! (Yahoo!) or FedEx (Federal Express).

There are many professional designers of trademark logos. An expert would be able to consider all aspects of designing the logo. They would also look at the copyright issues. Prices vary extensively and there are designers who charge as much as $500 for a logo. There are also special software programs that allow you to design logos. Prices start at $30.



Logo Designs provides detailed information on Logos, Logo Designs, Corporate Logos, Trademark Logos and more. Logo Designs is affiliated with Business Logo Design.

Consider a Career as a Paralegal – The Various Positions and Education Needed

A career as a paralegal is definitely worthy of consideration. Young ladies and gentlemen soon entering the job market are wise to select paths of opportunity and advancement. Becoming a paralegal fits the bill in many ways.

Wherever there are people, laws are necessary to settle disputes and protect against crime. There are many areas of law in which paralegals can work, including corporate, estate planning, tax, bankruptcy, family and domestic, criminal, environmental protection, personal injury, civil litigation, trademark, international, intellectual property, and real estate. All these areas of law create a variety of work areas, and an abundance of learning opportunity. Taking advantage of learning opportunities creates more earning opportunities.

The U.S. Department Labor reports that paralegal careers are on the rise, and expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014. The median for paralegal salaries range between $31,040 and $49,950. In bigger metropolitan areas, large law firms pay upwards of $60,000. Many paralegals receive bonuses. Benefits for these positions tend to be attractively competitive.

The educational and work experience requirements for paralegal positions vary depending on employer and position requirements. These days, a four-year degree is highly advisable in general. Employers often consider applicants with a bachelor’s degree and no work experience.

A four-year degree is not necessarily required for all paralegal positions. Another applicant with a two-year degree and more specialized concentration in paralegal studies and no work experience may be equally considered. Many employers also consider the work experience of legal assistants or secretaries who have had no college training.

Online degrees are gaining popularity and are being considered positively by employers. There are several online courses designed for paralegal training. People can earn online degrees while working full-time in the convenience of their own schedules at home. Such flexibility of training makes learning easier, and opens doors for paralegal job opportunities.

There are several other steps one can take to prepare for a career as a paralegal. Many of these steps are surprisingly easy, and will open interview doors wider. I will discuss the steps in upcoming articles.

In addition to various opportunities and advancement, positions as a skilled paralegal can maintain one happily through their entire work career, yet have the flexibility of being a stepping stone into other positions. Such other positions, to name a few, could be in law enforcement, becoming an attorney, or working in top level positions of other businesses, like becoming a successful realtor. Consider a career as a paralegal, it just might be right up your alley.

Are you fascinated by trials? Do you like helping people? A career as a Paralegal is challenging, rewarding, and NEVER boring. Sign up for free newsletters that show you how to step into this exciting career. Adventures await you....

http://www.ParaLegalSecretary.Com

Laura McDonald is a paralegal. She is a member of NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations). Laura is experienced in the areas of personal injury, civil litigation, family, environmental and corporate law, estate planning and bankruptcy. She works for Michael L. Hawkins & Associates, P.L.L.C., located in Frankfort, Kentucky. The firm's website is http://www.mlhlawky.com