Would a paralegal be a good career for a mother?

I have 24 college hours done. I am currently taking the semster off from school because I had a baby in August. I will be starting back in January and I am considering being a paralegal. Would I need a bachelor's or is an associate's enough? Would it be a good choice for someone who still wants to spend a lot of time with their family? What is the salary? If you are or know someone who is a paralegal, do they like it? Why/why not?

gettingby

I am a current paralegal student. I will tell you this: you cannot become a paralegal unless you have about 2 years of experience in a law firm. Experience is the most important, and now there is a trend towards more and more employers demanding formal education, particularly from an ABA-approved school. There are several paralegals in my class with no degrees who worked their way up and cannot move on to new jobs because they now need the degree. An Associates is definitely enough, but it really needs to be from an approved school. If you choose a school that is unapproved, you will not have as many job opportunities and you may not receive the best education. I have a BA in a liberal arts field, so I am going for a certificate since I have the BA credits. Most of my classmates are getting the Associates. There are employers who are asking for the BA, but you do not need it. The experience and Associates is definitely enough. A BA would make you stand out more from the crowd.

The job duties and pay will depend on where you work and live. A small firm will not pay as well as a big firm, but you have to look at the whole picture. Being a mom, you will probably want to choose a smaller firm/one where there is not a lot of overtime. There are paras who work a lot of overtime hours, but it depends on the firm and the area of law. Experience will get you the best salary. I have seen ads paying from 30,000 to 80,000 (years of experience).

If you decide to go for this degree, get a job in a law firm during school, as a file clerk or something else entry-level. Otherwise, you will graduate and have a hard time finding a job. I just started my school and I am trying to find something now because it is necessary to have the experience. The paras in my class love what they do, but they want the chance to apply to other jobs or get a raise. Many of my classmates are traveling a distance because the school is approved.

My classes are not easy, nor are they "just classes" in the sense that you go to class, take a test and that is that. I have to do fieldwork and tons of research. Not an easy program (not impossible!!!)-it is just pretty involved, and if you go to an approved school, you will find the same thing.

Good luck!

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