Career as a Paralegal

Paralegals provide substantive and administrative support to lawyers and other legal professionals. While paralegals may perform many of the same duties as licensed attorneys, they may not give legal advice or represent clients in an official capacity.

Education

Paralegals must have a high school diploma and a paralegal certificate. Some firms will hire as paralegals people with associate's or bachelor's degrees, provided they have strong administrative skills.

Skills

Paralegals must have strong research, writing, clerical and organizational skills. They should also be proficient at Internet research, typing and data processing.

Duties

Paralegals are responsible for conducting research, drafting legal documents, preparing documents for trials, and providing clerical services such as typing, filing, and answering phones.

Employers

Private law firms, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and courts all employ paralegals.

Income

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2006, the median yearly salary for a paralegal was $43,040. The BLS further concluded that the demand for paralegals was expected to grow approximately 22% from 2006 to 2016.

References

• Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition: Paralegals and Legal Assistants