"In the few decades of their formal existence, paralegals have become established members of the legal community. Interviewing clients, investigating facts, drafting documents, and researching the law are typical tasks performed by paralegals under the supervision of an attorney. Paralegals, also known as legal assistants, work in private law firms, corporations, banks, insurance and real estate agencies, title companies, courts, and government agencies. The undeniable cost efficiency of using paralegals has made this field one of the fastest- growing occupations in the United States.

"The American Bar Association has defined a paralegal as 'a person, qualified by education, training, or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity, and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible'." ( www.luc.edu )

Find Paralegal Studies Programs

For additional information on online certification please visit eLearners.com for details.

Types Of Associate, Undergraduate & Graduate Programs Available
Because of the nature of the work done by paralegals, the requirements for those just entering the profession are rather stringent. An Associates in Arts degree from a program that has been approved by the American Bar Association is sufficient to begin a career as a paralegal, but make sure the program you're considering is in fact approved. A Bachelor's degree also must be approved by the ABA, so don't simply assume that, because it's a Bachelor's degree, you'll be guaranteed permission to begin work in the field. "A few colleges and universities that offer undergraduate paralegal degree programs are now offering an advanced degree in paralegal studies. Other universities offer advanced degree programs and law-related areas such as legal administration and legal studies" ( www.nala.org ). And there is always the option of completing a certificate program, which "are usually designed for students who already hold an associate or baccalaureate degree." ( www.nala.org )

Typical Admissions Requirements
Getting into a paralegal studies program is as much a result of past academic achievement as it is of possessing the right skill set to succeed in the field. You should be organized, self-motivating, good at working under pressure, and possess the ability to synthesize a great deal of information in a short period of time. As for getting into a program, the vast number of certificate programs available makes it possible for people with no background in the field to pursue it with little difficulty. Pursuing further degrees is up to you, and depends to a very real extent on your academic performance.

Careers In This Field
Unlike many other professions, paralegals have a number of job responsibilities within the one general area of work in which they engage. In other words, while their duties run the gamut, and while they may specialize in various forms of law, the overall job description remains. Indeed, "The only legal services paralegals explicitly can't perform are presenting cases in a court, giving legal advice, setting fees, and accepting cases. This leaves a wide variety of legal duties paralegals can do." ( www.allcriminaljusticeschools.com )

• Paralegals provide valuable assistance to attorneys by helping them prepare for closings, hearing, trials, and corporate meetings by:
• Trial assistance for attorneys
• Drafting contracts, mortgages, separation agreements and trust instruments
• Assisting in the preparation of tax returns and planning estates
• Coordinating the activities of other law office employees
• Maintaining financial office records
• Investigating cases
• Researching legal documents
• Locating witnesses
• Helping prepare legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions
• Obtaining affidavits
• Organizing and tracking case files

Salary Ranges In This Field
"Earnings of paralegals and legal assistants vary greatly. Salaries depend on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer , and the geographic location of the job. In general, paralegals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms or in less populated regions. In addition to earning a salary, many paralegals receive bonuses. In May 2004 , full-time wage and salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $39,130. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $49,950. The top 10 percent earned more than $61,390, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $25,360. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of paralegals in May 2004 were as follows ( www.bls.gov ):

• Federal Government: $59,370
• Local government: $38,260
• Legal services: $37,870
• State government: $34,910

Future Outlook
Paralegal work is some of the most rewarding in the legal profession, though it tends to have less stress associated with it than full-time work as a lawyer. Therefore, competition for a position is rather tough, as it is with many excellent professions. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics:

"Employment for paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014. Employers are trying to reduce costs and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services by hiring paralegals to perform tasks formerly carried out by lawyers. Besides new jobs created by employment growth, additional job openings will arise as people leave the occupation. Despite projections of rapid employment growth, competition for jobs should continue as many people seek to go into this profession; however , experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best employment opportunities." ( www.bls.gov )

Resources

1. www.paralegals.org (The National Federation of Paralegal Associations)
2. nationalparalegal.org (The National Paralegal Association)
3. www.nala.org (The National Association of Legal Assistants)