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

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

History Of The Paralegal Profession

When you find the legal world appealing, you might as well get yourself acquainted with the history of the paralegal profession. It is not that ancient as it only started in the 1970s. However, court cases still need to be handled by a legitimate lawyer who passed the bar examination in order for the whole process to be complete.

You may call the history of the paralegal profession sort of a late bloomer but it was only in the year it begun where there was a great consideration of attorneys needing someone to assist them in their workloads. There were also some corporations who were looking for individuals to do legal typing services and those who are full- pledged lawyers have to carefully think of the impact it will bring to them if they resort to the job description.

Prior to such, plenty of law firms were also training their administrative staff to perform some routinary operations where it was then the dawning of independent paralegal companies. At present, paralegals are under the supervision of a legitimate attorney but they should be knowledgeable in the judicial system so they can properly armorbear their immediate head.

Over the years, there has been a lot of mushrooming private organizations that compose of legal assistants. Below, you will read a brief account of how they were formed.

History of the Paralegal Profession of AAFPE The American Association for Paralegal Education (AAFPE) was established in 1981. It took its roots when the American Bar Association (ABA) hosted the first conference for paralegal professors. AAFPE strives to accomplish the promotion of high criterions for paralegal education, provide a convention for professional improvement, offer technical assistance as well as consultation services, plan research on how to disseminate information on the occupation and cooperate with the American Bar Association as well as other institutions in developing an approval process for paralegal educational curriculums.

History of the Paralegal Profession of MPA The Metrolina Paralegal Association (MPA) was created during the winter between the years of 1980 to 1981. It was by a small group of people who deemed that the paralegal profession was becoming a reality in Charlotte as well as in North Carolina. Their first- ever meeting had the agenda of learning about the novel state association where they also presented a set of bylaws and rules. MPAs chief purpose is to further the continuity of paralegal education. Their original plan was to conduct a minimum of sis academic meetings in an annual basis then they advanced to having a whole- day seminar each year. It was held at the Central Piedmont Community College with the cooperation of the CPCC Paralegal Association.

Read More On Paralegal Profession 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.

Thinking About Online Paralegal Courses?

 

Thinking about online paralegal courses? You've decided to finally take charge of your career, by returning to school to earn your paralegal degree online. This is a big step and it's important that you research all of your options before committing yourself to an online college or university. Here is a brief guide to help you get started studying for your paralegal degree.

There are many advantages to studying for your degree through distance education, by choosing online paralegal courses. By enrolling in an online course, you can continue to work- and therefore earn- while being a student. There is also the additional benefit of being able to study and attend classes at your leisure, allowing your to work around your work and family schedules.

But where do you begin? With so many colleges advertising their programmes, you may need some help deciding which one is just right for you. There are several online databases, which list the various colleges which offer paralegal certification, like worldwidelearn.com, cyberu.com, elearners.com, geteducated.com.

Once you've decided on the programme from the many available online paralegal courses, it's time to consider securing the funds to begin studying. There are numerous financial aid packages available to those who quality, like Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans. It's important that you meet the application deadlines for these programmes, so make sure that you contact your financial aid advisor, for more information.

It is also important that you verify your college's accreditation. While there are many, many excellent colleges offering outstanding online education, there are those institutions which are nothing more than diploma mills. One of the best ways to ensure that you will be getting your money's worth out of your paralegal training is to conduct some due diligence on your new school. Try to contact some of their students and speak with some of your future instructors, so that you can get a better idea of what you can expect.

Getting your degree is an important step in your professional life and is a decision which shouldn't be made lightly.

Matt Norman is the founder of Easy Distance Learning a website providing information on learning online.