Many job-seekers are enjoying a career as a paralegal ... and according to job outlook research, many more will be following them in the future. As an illustration, were you aware that the average paralegal salary is roughly around $34,000 per year? Paralegals working in government positions might net up to double. Along with the superb pay, you may not need a traditional paralegal degree to qualify for a position. Law firms are in serious need of paralegals with experience. Paralegal job opportunities should increase faster than most opportunities through 2014.
For all these reasons, it makes good logic that paralegal careers are growing to be more and more attractive. Want to learn what you would do as a paralegal?
To begin with, paralegals are legal assistants. In fact, the two words can be substituted for the other. One thing a paralegal cannot do is offer legal advice. But, they do aid lawyers in almost every other facet. A paralegal job description might consist of preparing legal documents, performing imperative legal research, and aiding with a lot of an attorney's prep work. Paralegals can work in many different fields; from medical law to criminal law. About 70% of all legal assistants in the U.S. are employed at a law firm.
At this point, you don't need a specialized education or certification to gain a position as a paralegal (except in the state of California). Even though there are no set requirements for a paralegal education, a paralegal certification is important and desired by a number of law firms. Here are a couple of popular exams leading to certifications:
CLA Exam (or Certified Legal Assistant Exam) offered by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).
Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) which is offered by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).
Since the certifications require you to meet certain specifications in order to take them, you may want to think about an education in paralegal studies. There are dozens of paralegal programs to choose from.
While you can get hired as a paralegal with no formal education or certification, but you may earn a lower salary. Many law firms do seek out people with training and past experience in paralegal work. It will only make finding employment as a paralegal easier if you gain qualifications before looking for your first job.
