Average Salary for a Paralegal With an Associate's Degree
Paralegals assist lawyers in non-lawyer work. Paralegals perform various tasks depending on what type of law is practiced at the firm that employs the paralegal. Usually, the paralegal is involved in drafting contracts and agreements, preparing reports, maintaining records and conducting research.
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Outlook
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Paralegal and legal assistants are in growing demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for paralegals and legal assistants is for employment growth that is better than average. High competition is also expected for these positions.
Qualifications Required
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Although there are no qualifications for this position required by law, generally, paralegals possess an associate's degree in paralegal studies, or alternatively, have a bachelor's degree in a different subject and a certificate in paralegal studies. Some colleges and universities are now offering bachelor's and even master's programs in paralegal studies.
The National Association of Legal Assistants offers Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) or Certified Paralegal (CP) certification. The certifications are identical except in name. The terms "legal assistant" and "paralegal" are interchangeable.
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Wages
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According to the BLS, the average salary of a full-time paralegal was $46,100 as of May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $36,000 and $59,000. Paralegals working for the federal executive branch earned the most, at an average of $58,540. Paralegals for legal services earned the least, at an average of $44,480.
Job Description
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Paralegals perform a large variety of tasks, and are given increasingly more responsibility in legal cases. A paralegal's tasks depend on the firm and industry the paralegal is working in. Litigation paralegals interview witnesses, analyze documents, conduct research and prepare documents. A corporate paralegal, on the other hand, drafts employee benefit plans, prepares securities reporting and conducts patent searches. Specific knowledge of an industry can help a paralegal obtain employment in that industry.
History
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The paralegal profession was created in the 1960s as a way to increase access to legal services by reducing the costs. Experienced legal secretaries were trained to be competent in more complicated tasks. In 1967, the American Bar Association published an ethics guideline for delegating tasks to non-licensed legal workers. The paralegal profession today is a direct result.
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References
- Photo Credit young lawyer image by Alexey Stiop from Fotolia.com
