About Opportunities in Paralegal Careers
Within the paralegal field is a broad variety of jobs, including positions in corporations, law firms, governmental offices and non-profits. The job market for paralegals is growing rapidly, and that growth is expected to continue. Because paralegals charge at a lower rate but perform many duties that lawyers perform, such as legal and factual analysis, research and writing, their services are in demand.
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Corporations
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Corporations with ongoing litigation or in-house attorneys hire paralegals to assist with daily legal duties. These may include routine paralegal tasks, from writing documents to conducting due diligence, including research into company documents.
Law Firms
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Law firms hire paralegals to assist with attorney workload. Typical assignments include analysis of documents that are legal or factual in nature, writing motions and orders, and research.
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Government
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Governmental offices hire paralegals to assist with litigation, defense of litigation and dispute resolution, as well as to perform quasi-legal work in administrative branches.
Non-Profits
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Paralegals may work with non-profits in a variety of sectors. Examples of these opportunities include legal aid clinics, free tax assistance, organizations working for civil liberties and other social welfare programs.
Educational Requirements
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Many paralegals have taken some courses in law or criminal justice. Generally, however, there is no required course of study to become a paralegal, and the only state that requires paralegal licensing is California.
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