Could I get more info on a career as a paralegal?

saf1367

The paralegal field is one of the fastest-growing fields in today's job market. The legal industry is booming and paralegals are an important part of it.

A bachelor's degree in paralegal studies (or related field) or a bachelor's degree in any field plus a paralegal certificate from a program approved by the American Bar Association will give you the most employment opportunities. For detailed information on paralegal programs and education see: http://legalcareers.about.com/od/educationandtraining/a/paralegalprogra.htm

Many people confuse paralegals with legal secretaries but they are two different and distinct professions. For more information on paralegal careers including job duties, job outlook and compensation see:
http://legalcareers.about.com/od/careerprofiles/p/Paralegals.htm

This article outlines the top skills you need to succeed as a paralegal: http://legalcareers.about.com/od/practicetips/tp/paralegalskills-.htm

Feel free to visit the legal careers website at http://legalcareers.about.com/ for more paralegal information or post on my forum with specific questions.

Sally A. Kane
About.com Guide to Legal Careers

QBTY

There are schools that specialize in paralegal training. I believe you can have a paralegal certificate in as little as two years. Provided are two links that have much more information than I could post on here.

http://careerleak.com/occupationprofiles/paralegal-legal-assistant.shtml

http://careerleak.com/profile_view.php?editid1=142

Hope this helps!

Lesley

I think it depends on the state you are in, you need to research whether you need to be certified in your state. You may want to look at job postings for paralegals to see what the job requirements are.

Unlike what the subsequent answerer said, being a paralegal isn't exactly the same as a legal secretary, a paralegal will typically have more knowledge on the law than a secretary. Also contrary to what she said, it is a good idea to have a bachelors degree. Many large firms won't hire you if you don't have one. Also, paralegals typically make more than legal secretaries (though this depends on the firm).

By the way law school is THREE years beyond a bachelors degree, not two, and many people that choose to become paralegals, just don't WANT to be attorneys.

Liberty

There are a lot of Law Offices out there that will hire you as a Paralegal with no training or education. Paralegal is a fancy word for a Secretary who knows how to work for Lawyers.

Think about it, if it took four years of college (a BA) to become a Paralegal, why wouldn't you just go the extra two years to get your JD (Juris Doctorate) and be a lawyer?

You want a to be a Paralegal? Then just take some eight week course and get some kind of certificate. Make sure you can type fast and are good at proofreading.

Shane

Just make sure the certification is ABA approved. You are in college to be a paralegal? Go for something bigger!

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