Is Paralegal a Good Career Choice?

Aimee

good luck

vicseo

The opportunities for a paralegal really depends on the specialty. The most in demand paralegals are those in the litigation field; followed by corporate paralegals who are responsible for maintaining corporate records, articles of incorporation, etc. While the "least" markeable [but the "highest" paid] paralegals are in the field of intellectual property [i.e., patents, trademarks] and immigration law. In conclusion, choose your paralegal courses accordingly, with emphasis on litigation preparation [discovery], docketing/calendaring of incoming pleadings [calendaring] and trial preparation [creating Exhibit tabs, Bajii jury instructions, etc.]. The "pro" side of a litigation paralegal is often "unlimited" overtime which can amount to a high salary range of $65,000 to $75,000 per year, while the "downside," being constantly pressured to meet a monthly client billable quota. And failing to meet that quota, often results in the paralegal's overnight dismissal. It's not a pretty picture. I just want to lay out what really happens in the real world of litigators and their relationship with subordinate paralegals.

Good luck!

redsoxfan11x

well... it's not boring, unless you do contract law
I did bankruptcy for a year and a half....
depressed the crap outta me!

so then I did only felonies (defense)
it is heart wrenching...
I eventually HAD to quit, couldn't take anymore
but there is a sense of accomplishment, and you know you have an impact on the lives of people.

Remember; you have to keep it in perspective
and leave it at the office

the pay is pretty good, if you're in the right place...
and there is a wild abundance of attorneys to work for in almost any given place!
(I recommend a smaller firm)

Good luck

[BUMP] Coming July '09

Stick with radiology!!! I wish that I had listened to my Mother (who is a radiologist and makes a sh*t load of money) and gone into radiology. Instead, I became a paralegal.

The kicker is that to get a paralegal job you need to have a degree from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited school. And the degrees aren't cheap. My associates cost me about $25,000 after financing and interest fees. Starting paralegals only make between $30,000 and $40,000 (if they are really lucky) per year. It just isn't worth it. You have to have over 5 years of experience to make any real money. You can also become a paralegal through on the job training and experience but that takes years.

If I were you, I would forget about law (which is quite boring) and complete my radiology tech degree.

*****

Paralegals are nothing but legmen for lawyers who are too lazy to do their own work. If you like this field, why not become a lawyer?

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