What are the types of positions and/or types of tasks a Para Legal does?

gettingby

I have just begun a paralegal certificate program at a community college. I have a non-law BA, which was required to enter the program. The program will take me 2 years going at night, taking about 2 classes per semester. It is run just as a standard Associates program is; my school offers both the certificate and the Associates. Some of my classes build on each other, so I think the minimum time I could finish would be 18 months. There would be no way to do it in a year or less. The other programs I looked at were a year or less and cost a lot more. Mine should total about 5K. It includes an internship, which is important.

The most important thing to consider about a paralegal program is the ABA-approval. While not required, it is still highly recommended because many employers want this; it would limit your job options if you did not go to an approved school. Therefore, you do not want an online, distance/correspondence school, as they are not approved. Your best bet is a community college. We have several programs near here, but only this one is approved. All community colleges are not approved, but they are most likely to be.

A paralegal basically performs legal work under the supervision of a lawyer. They cannot take on cases, set fees, give legal advice. They can do a lot of things, including research, client interviewing, drafting documents. Depending on your job, you may have to do the duties of a legal secretary, as these jobs can merge, esp. in smaller offices.

Something to be aware of is that no matter where you get your degree, you have to have experience. So, the degree does not automatically give you a paralegal job. Unless you get into a small office, you will have to work your way up. The employers seem to want at least 2-3 years of experience. So, you have to be aware of that if you decide to go into a program. I am currently trying to find entry-level jobs so I can get my experience before I graduate. Several of my classmates are already in law firms and they want the degree to advance or move to other jobs someday.

You are going to have to enjoy working with people, research, deadlines, as well as writing and being independent, while knowing when to ask for assistance. I would take some time and do a lot of Googling to see if it is something you would like. It seems ideal for me. The people in my class in law jobs love their work. One is actually a para, and the others are more of admin. assistants.

You can work in law firms, legal depts., courts, gov't. agencies. The pay will vary depending on where you live and where you work. I am interviewing for entry-level jobs and even with a BA, they are only offering 10-11 an hour. One was paying 8. They want experience and they pay for that. I have seen salaries from 35K-75K, some are paralegal only jobs and some a combo of para and secretary. It seems an average salary around here for someone with 2-3 years in a law firm is in the 45-50K range.

I wish you luck with whatever you decide!

mailaccount63

"Certificates" in the field of Law aren't worth the paper they are printed on. Employers today in the field of Law want employees with Bachelors Degrees. Law schools (especially those for legal support professionals) won't tell you this - law students are easy money.

Warning: Jobs in the field of Law are drying up FAST!!! This is NOT a good field to invest in!!! There are simply TOO MANY attorneys!! And MANY of those attorneys have resorted to working down, like in positions as a paralegal, just to be able to find a job. Other reasons? Very bad economy, too many people today think they can do their own legal work thanks to the WWWeb, there are WAY TOO MANY law schools (and this includes law schools for legal support professionals such as Paralegals) churning out WAY TOO MANY graduates for the demand and economy.

So even if you DO make it through law school, you probably won't be able to find a job - the job market is SATURATED.

Even if you DO find a job, you will be heavily in debt from the school loans.

Suggestion: Try the field of Healthcare <<< LOTS of jobs there!!! scholarships too!!!

Good luck.

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