About Paralegal Career Options
Successful paralegal graduates can find a job that allows them to combine their strengths and their interests with their newly found understanding of the law.
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Who Becomes A Paralegal?
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This career option is attractive to a wide range of people at different stages in life. The high school or college student may see it as a stepping stone--a less daunting (and certainly less expensive) alternative to making the commitment to law school.
The individual already working in another occupation may see how the law intersects their current career and decide to explore that intersection further. For example, many nurses take paralegal training and become nurse paralegals, a highly sought after individual who may act as an expert witness or assist a lawyer with malpractice or wrongful death cases filed against a hospital or nursing home.
The stay-at-home mom who decides to return to work, or the older individual who is laid off after many years on the job, oftentimes sees paralegal training as a quick means of getting back into the work force.
Types of Paralegal Careers
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Generally speaking, paralegal career options may be divided into those found in law firms and those found in private business or government agencies. There is also opportunity for a paralegal to provide her services as a freelance paralegal or as a temporary employee.
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Career Options With Law Firms
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Large Law Firms. Most paralegals can be found in large law firms, where the type of work varies greatly dependent upon the type of practice and the number of attorneys each paralegal must support.
Small Law Firms or Sole Practitioners. Paralegals who work for a small law firm or a sole practitioner will generally find themselves more deeply immersed in the business of the firm. Family law paralegals may be the first point of contact for a client who seeks help with a divorce or custody issue. Immigration paralegals may work closely with the visa applicant to assist them through the process toward becoming a legal resident or citizen.
Careers in Corporate Law
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Corporate Law Departments. Mid-size to large companies generally have an in-house law department. The corporate legal department supports the company with contract review, the drafting of various legal documents, employment and labor issues, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, environmental issues and more. A paralegal may also be responsible for the tracking and payment of outside counsel invoices.
Title Companies and Banks. Paralegals in these institutions assist with drawing up documents for closings and other real estate or financial transactions and may actually be responsible for finalizing such transactions with the customer.
Government. A large number of paralegals are employed by various governmental agencies or by the court system.
Working for Yourself
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The paralegal who has strong skills in areas such as the corporate filings, insurance agents licensing, service contract providers and other licensed professions and trademark and patent prosecution may find opportunities to start his own business and provide freelance paralegal support to small companies or sole practitioners who cannot afford to have their own paralegal support. Freelance paralegals may also assist individuals with the completion of legal documents not requiring the assistance of an attorney, such as wills, trademark applications or divorce papers.
Many highly trained paralegals have successful careers as contract paralegals working with employment agencies.
Keep This in Mind
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It is not just the study of law that makes a paralegal a valuable asset to the company or law firm. It is also her organizational and critical thinking skills, issue-spotting capabilities and ability to take on a large and complex task and see it through to a successful completion.
In addition to paralegal certification, some paralegal job openings also require a bachelor's degree or 7 to10 years of experience in the field. Without these requirements, be prepared to take a lower-level position and work your way up.
Paralegals should also be knowledgeable of office equipment and computer savvy.
The smaller the corporate law department, the wider the range of duties expected to be performed by a paralegal. Some days, the work may be clerical in nature, while on other days, it may seem that you are being asked to do the attorney's job.
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