Paralegal Career - 5 Tips To Determine If It's Right For You

If watching TV shows like Law and Order or old Ally McBeal re-runs has you thinking you would love a career as a legal assistant, you may want to look into the real world of one before entering the paralegal job market.

Working as a paralegal can be interesting and very rewarding work, but no one should enter the field with delusions of becoming an Erin Brockovitch. Listed below are some of the qualities a good paralegal should have.

1. You must love research. Not only must you love it, you should be the kind of thinker who can find innovative ways to find facts as you research cases. Maybe your research will require surfing the Internet for days on end, or you may find yourself neck deep in old files at the county courthouse. You may even find yourself searching through old newspaper articles. If you do not like research, find a different career choice.

2. You must be organized. As a paralegal, you are not only organizing cases and files for yourself; you are also organizing them for use by attorneys and other case workers. Having your own system of filing will not work for a successful paralegal. Your organization must be logical and easy for others to follow. Remember, all the research you do could either make or break the client's case.

3. You must work well with limited supervision. If you require a boss standing over your shoulder reminding you that your work is due soon, don't consider a career as a paralegal. For one, the attorney or business person you work for will not have time to be your deadline reminder. And, don't expect that just because your boss says you have two weeks to complete a case file that he or she won't say they absolutely need it two days later.

4. You must work well under pressure. As you gather research about a case, little facts could pop up that change the entire course of your research. If you get frustrated easily, being a paralegal might not be the career choice you should make. An adaptable person succeeds as a legal assistant.

5. You must have good people skills. Just because your job might mean doing a lot of research doesn't mean you won't have vital contact with clients. As a paralegal, you may take statements from clients and help direct their questions and concerns to the attorney. You are their liaison with the lawyer. It's important that you like to help people and can work with a diverse group of people if you work as a legal assistant.

If you have the above qualities, you would probably make a great paralegal. If you have those five qualities, plus having training or certification as a legal assistant, the world will be your oyster. The training will set you apart from all the other people who also have the same qualities. Twenty and 30 years ago, no one had formal training as a legal assistant. All those paralegals are preparing for retirement now and their employers will plan to replace them with a trained professional instead of offering on the job training again.
Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Paralegal | Online Paralegal Degree | Online Paralegal

Legal and Paralegal Schools

Interested in law? Legal and paralegal schools educate and train students to become professional legal associates who usually work under the supervision of a lawyer. Legal and paralegal professions include paralegals, legal secretaries; file clerks; and legal aides; consequently, paralegals often work independently in private practices.

Ideally, legal and paralegal school graduates should have attained sufficient comprehension, skills and knowledge prior to entering professions of law. Thus, legal and paralegal training curriculums teach prospective candidates how to provide an array of valuable services such as court filings; the drafting of motions and subpoenas; document reviews; and other legal procedures.

While legal and paralegal schools vary in educational training platforms, and may be subject to individual state recommendations and requirements; exam certifications often accompany successful course completion. Furthermore, legal and paralegal educational coursework usually provides comprehensive educational programs that result in the attainment of a Bachelors or Associates degree; depending on particular discipline.

As a form of continuing education, advanced legal and paralegal certifications are frequently offered through relevant legal agencies and associations, which concentrate in specific areas of the law including business, commercial, corporate, criminal, real estate laws, etc.

If you would like to learn more about legal and paralegal education, feel free to research relevant topics onsite.

C. Bailey-Lloyd is the Public Relations' Director for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Legal and Paralegal Schools at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

Choosing the Right Paralegal Courses

 Paralegals typically have a bachelor?s degree to help them professionally assist lawyers or corporations and government agencies dealing with the law. Paralegals help lawyers navigate the large amounts of paperwork generated in legal proceedings by indexing, photocopying, and filing. Paralegals also may hold hearings or interview witnesses. A job as a paralegal may help a recent college graduate get into law school, it may help a professional make connections and gain experience to enter law, business, or government, or it may be a rewarding career in itself.

In 2001, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) estimated that 84 percent of paralegals had formal paralegal education beyond an associate?s or bachelor?s degree. Numerous courses exist to help paralegals advance their careers.

Before choosing any program, however, the NFPA urges paralegals to critically evaluate the program. Make certain the program is approved by the American Bar Association. The NFPA provides a list, for a small fee, of accredited paralegal training programs. Online directories can also help a paralegal find a program, either online or at a local college or university.

Many of these paralegal programs are also online. A quick search on the Internet reveals several online paralegal courses. Kaplan University, Keiser College, Saint Leo University, the University of Phoenix Online, and Berkeley College all offer online paralegal education programs. Online schools can lead to paralegal certificates, paralegal associate degrees, paralegal bachelor?s degrees, or law certificates. Online courses let paralegals learn, for the most part, at their own pace.

Online introductory courses prepare a paralegal for the legal environment. More advanced studies allow paralegals to learn about management, or specialize in fields like civil litigation, criminal law, or business contracts. Online courses may also boost the career of an experienced paralegal who does not have a bachelor?s degree.

Online courses allow paralegals to learn more and specialize, opening the door to more opportunities for advancement in this rapidly growing field.
 

Training for a Paralegal Job in the Legal Profession

 

Many paralegals work in the offices of solicitors and barristers, where they are responsible for preparing and managing legal cases under the oversight of a fully qualified solicitor. Other paralegals work in private firms and companies, where they oversee the legal standings of that firm’s contracts, review the legalities of company pension plans, prepare and file annual reports and maintain the minute reports and financial records for the company.

There are some recognized courses of instruction for those wishing to find jobs in the legal profession as paralegal, but there is no specific educational requirement. A paralegal should have a thorough understanding of at least a specialized area of the law pertaining to the position they wish to pursue. Most firms that hire paralegals will have their own in-house or on-the-job training. You can increase your chances of landing a job as a paralegal by fitting appropriate continuing education courses into your schedule.

While there is currently no prescribed course for paralegal training, the Scottish Paralegal Association offers the following guidelines for training as a paralegal.

A paralegal should have instruction in professional ethics, legal research and analysis of legal materials. They should know how to draft legal documents, and understand the administrative process of filing pleadings with a court. They should have substantial knowledge of the law and understand the workings of major research tools for legal matters. In addition, they should have demonstrated a facility with written and oral communications.

There are many universities and training institutions that offer courses and certifications for one interested in a career in the legal profession. These include bachelors and postgraduate degrees with concentrations in legal studies, associates’ degrees in legal studies and a certificate for completion of a course in paralegal studies.

Upon completion of training can expect his/her salary to be in the range of £20,000 and £40,000 annually. The job schedule is generally regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 to 5).

Robert Proctor is part of Legal Week Jobs, a website specialising in legal jobs and recruitment including gradute, legal secretary, solicitor & paralegal jobs.

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