Paralegal Jobs

Are You Interested in Becoming a Paralegal?

Duties you would have if you got a paralegal job include: conducting client interviews and maintain ongoing communication with the client; locating and interviewing witnesses; conducting investigations of a statistical or documentary nature; conducting legal research into precedents; drafting legal documents, correspondence and pleadings; summarizing depositions, witness statements and testimonies; and attending the executions of wills, real estate closings, depositions, court or administrative hearings and trials alongside the attorney.

A paralegal is usually employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity that performs legal work.

The legal assistant profession is projected to grow by 33% during the first 10 years of the 21st century, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compared to other occupations, paralegal jobs have a high projected growth rate.

If you have a college degree and average or above average grades, then you will probably be able to qualify for entry into paralegal certificate studies. Some paralegal jobs do require a paralegal certificate so if this is a career you are very interested in, then studies are beneficial.

So what are the benefits of paralegal jobs? Being a paralegal will probably help you get into law school. Admissions officers often look upon existing paralegals favorably. Being a paralegal may help you obtain another job within your firm – the opportunities for promotion in major corporations are extensive.

The starting salary for paralegal jobs (inexperienced and untrained) is $21,000 - $22,000. This is a base salary for working from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break, Monday through Friday. However, sometimes you will have to work extra hours (for no extra pay) if there is work to be done on an important deal or trial.