What Do I Need to Know to Become a Paralegal?
During these tough economic times, firms are laying off lawyers and hiring more paralegals. While some firms are hiring lawyers as law clerks and paralegals, many of them prefer to hire paralegals. What you need to know to become a paralegal you can learn at a college or university near you. Education along with experience through internships should be enough to get you in on the ground floor at a decent salary. Once you have 3 to 5 years in a specialized area of law, you will be able to move up the ladder to a higher paying job.
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Paralegal Defined
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As established by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1967, a paralegal is a trained and educated legal professional who performs substantive work under the supervision and responsibility of a licensed attorney. Currently, there are no regulations for paralegals in Illinois. California and Arizona are pushing hard for reform. While it is highly unlikely, you would need to research your own state as to whether paralegals need a license. The ABA has also published "Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services." It provides 10 guidelines for attorneys to follow. While there are many duties a paralegal can perform, there are a few a paralegal can never perform, such as setting fees, rendering legal opinions or giving advice, and appearing in court.
Training for Paralegals
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To work as a paralegal, a candidate needs as little as a certificate and at most an associate or bachelor's degree. Some schools that offer a paralegal certificate program require students to have some formal education before taking the classes. Many colleges offer accelerated programs for students who already have college degrees and want to change careers. Paralegals classes have much the same curriculum as attorneys but only touch lightly on the subjects. Some courses might include legal writing; legal research; business law; contract law; torts; civil litigation; criminal procedures; real estate law; family law; wills, estates and trusts; intellectual property; and immigration law. Most certificate programs consist of 10 to 12 full-time paralegal courses completed within one year.
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Required Skills
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There are very few prerequisites for obtaining a paralegal certificate and each school varies. However, it helps to have good verbal and written communication skills, as well as basic computer skills such as email, word processing such as Microsoft Office, and research skills using the Internet. Most law offices will use the computer for all their intake forms, file labels, correspondence and billing. If you are uncomfortable with computers, take a few computer classes before starting legal research and legal writing.
Paralegal Duties
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Each law office will have its paralegals performing different duties. In general, a paralegal's tasks will include conducting client interviews, filling out intake forms, setting up new client files, closing files, legal research, fact-finding, drafting and analyzing legal correspondence and documents, compiling technical data, writing case briefs, filing documents with the courts, and scheduling court appearances. All duties are under the supervision of an attorney who is ultimately responsible for everything the paralegal does.
Finding Work
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Paralegals can find work in many types of organizations and companies. There are many private law firms that will either be a general practice or specialize in one or two areas including personal injury, domestic relations, real estate, intellectual property, immigration, securities, or bankruptcy. There are also government legal offices and agencies including the United States Department of Justice, state attorney general offices, employment offices and parole boards. You should be able to find legal services and legal aid offices in most cities. Then there are the non-traditional paralegal positions at insurance companies, financial institutions, labor unions, criminal justice systems, professional athletic organizations, and legal departments at Fortune 500 corporations.
Selecting a Paralegal Certificate Program
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There are many things to consider when selecting a paralegal certificate program. You must decide if you want a school that is ABA approved, meaning the school meets the education standards set by the American Bar Association. It does not necessarily mean that one school is any better than another. You will most likely have a choice of a two-year junior or community college or a four-year college or university. Determine if you will be going full time or part time, and whether you can handle the workload of an accelerated program. You should investigate what topics the program will cover. The more areas of law you learn about, the better off you'll be when deciding where you want to work. Find out if the schools have any corporate partners and offer any internships. Determine if they offer a placement service when you have completed the program. Ask if the school allows financial help through President Obama's new program. Additionally, see if the school offers evening or weekend classes if you are working.
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