Great Career Opportunities For Paralegals

Are you interested in legal work, but not law school? Many people want to a career in law, but not everyone is interested in committing to numerous years in school. Paralegals, also known as legal assistants are one of the fastest growing careers in the legal field.

The American Bar Association (ABA) defines the role of a paralegal or legal assistant as an individual that is capable by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.

What do Paralegals Do?
Paralegals help lawyers prepare for cases, trials and meetings. They assist attorneys by analyzing and organizing information, investigate facts, and even prepare written reports. Their duties can also include researching legal documents, finding witnesses, getting affidavits, and tracking case files. In addition, paralegals also draft legal documents and contracts.

Paralegal Facts

? Approximately 70% of paralegals work for law firms. Others work in corporate legal departments and government agencies.
? Most paralegals have at least an associate?s degree in paralegal studies, or a bachelor?s degree coupled with a certificate in paralegal studies.
? The Bureau of Labor Statistics project that this field will grow faster than average, as employers try to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks formerly carried out by lawyers.
? Formally trained paralegals will have the best employment opportunities.

Nearly all paralegals have earned an associate's or bachelor's degree. The most common paralegal programs are associate?s degree programs offered at community colleges or specialized schools. These programs are usually completed in 2 years. There are also certificate programs and online paralegal programs. Another common method of entry to this field for those who already have a college degree is through a program that leads to a certification in paralegal studies.

Financial Rewards of a Paralegal Career
Paralegals earn an average of 39,130 per year. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $49,950. The top 10 percent earned more than $61,390. Paralegals working for the federal government earned some of the higher salaries.

Mary Hart has been writing about legal degrees online since 2004. Click here to find out more information about how to earn your paralegal degree online.

Use A Paralegal Professional And Save Legal Fees

It is true to say that in the year 2007, the cost of legal aid has become so expensive that it is fast becoming out of the reach of most individuals and small businesses. This introduces significant problems to people and small companies which find themselves in the situation where they need to get expert legal advice. One option is the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach. This approach might work well when remodeling the house or servicing your car, but is fraught with dangers and difficulties when you need to deal with something as complex as the law. Getting it wrong can end up costing you, or your company, a lot of money. It can lead to bankruptcy, or worse still - a conviction and jail term.

Another solution is to use the services of those legal professionals who are not lawyers or attorneys but are still well trained in all aspects of law - the Paralegals. To enter the legal profession, paralegals undergo thorough training, often at law schools and universities, and need to register with various legal authorities who then issue them with a license permitting them to practice.

A common misconception is that you, the prospective client, cannot engage the services of a paralegal directly and need to first consult with lawyers or attorneys. This is just not true. There is nothing stopping you from seeking the assistance of a paralegal in the first instance.

Paralegals can do pretty much everything which attorneys and lawyers do except appearing in court and providing legal opinion. In fact when you engage the services of lawyers or attorneys, the chances are that they will have outsourced much of the research work to a paralegal anyway. Go direct to the paralegal and save!

As in the case of any legal professional consultation, the paralegal will meet with the client to conduct a preliminary interview. At the conclusion of this interview, the paralegal may decide that he/she is not suited to help you and would refer you to an attorney or lawyer for assistance. The very last thing a paralegal wants is to get into a situation where he can be sued by you for negligence. In this case it is best to cut your losses, pay the paralegal fee, and seek expert advice from a lawyer or attorney.

But if the paralegal decides that he can help you, you can be assured of getting expert legal advice for the fraction of the cost of the same advice from the more expensive lawyer or attorney.

Russell Clark is a freelance legal consultant. He owns and operates http://www.paralegal-course.com

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.
 

Finding Paralegal Training

 

If your dream is to be a paralegal, you probably already realize that there will be a large amount of paralegal training ahead of you for many years to come. But, the type of training that you get as well as the way you get it can really make a big bit of difference. Anyone looking for paralegal training should take a close look at the opportunities that are available to them on the web.

Yes, paralegal training can be taught online. You can find a great school that offers the courses that you need right on the web. Take classes while you live your life. You can even find great options when it comes to financial aid and scholarships as well. If you are set on being a paralegal and were not sure how you were going to fit it into your schedule, this just might be the right choice for you.

Paralegal training is hard work. It is demanding work. But, all this can be done from home as well. While you may need to go into a local school or organization for on the job training or labs, you will be able to get most of your education taken care of through web training. You can use video conferencing, email, CD ROM’s or even just learn through a book from home. Many of the online colleges offer great set ups to fill your needs and your wants. Paralegal training is only one of many courses that you could be taking on the web.

To find a school that is right for you, simply take a few minutes to check out your options. You can choose from some of the most well known schools or schools that specialize in this type of training. You can choose an online university or a traditional university that provides services on the web. Paralegal training is only a few steps away.

For more information please see http://www.paralegal-training-info.co.uk