“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” Leo Buscaglia
The end of summer is fast approaching and soon that feeling of jubilation, that was experienced by many graduating students a couple of months ago, will soon turn to uncertainty for many. For students graduating from post-secondary institutions, that uncertainty may be related to their inability to find a job now that they have completed the educational requirements for a particular career. They may also be concerned about whether or not they made the right career choice. For graduating high school students that uncertainty may center around simply choosing the right career path for them.
That is why our focus this summer is on providing information to young people on various career options they may want to consider. Our goal is the provide as much information as we can so that young people will have some idea as to what is involved in a particular career path in terms of job responsibility, training and/or education requirements, salary, and future employment outlook.
For this summer series we are focusing mainly on exciting, rewarding, and well-paying careers that do not require a 4-year college degree. In a number of these careers a person will still need to acquire some education and/or training beyond high school but not the kind that would demand the time and expense needed for a 4-year and beyond college degree. Students need to understand that there are many careers paths they can follow even if they do not have the desire, time or money necessary for a bachelor’s or beyond degree. One such career path is that of a Paralegal which is what we will explore for this post.
What Is A Paralegal?
A paralegal is someone whose primary role is to support and provide assistance to a licensed attorney. They work under the direct supervision of the attorney and is responsible for a variety of tasks that will help an attorney service his or her clients. Paralegals are employed in individual law firms, the legal department of corporations, real estate companies, hospitals, courts, and federal and state government agencies.
The extent of the duties for a paralegal will depend largely on where they are employed and how an attorney wants to use their service . Their purpose is to help attorneys prepare for hearings, trials and corporate meetings and to achieve that their duties will entail all or some of the following:
- conducting legal research
- investigating and gathering facts of a case
- locating and interviewing witnesses
- attending meetings and depositions
- writing and summarizing reports and presenting them to the attorney for review
- assisting in drafting legal documents and correspondences
- organizing and maintaining legal documents
- interviewing clients to gather relevant facts for a case
- participating in court appearances and assisting attorneys with exhibits and note taking
- filing legal documents with the courts
- attending executions of wills, real estate closing, etc.
Within their job responsibility, paralegals will perform some of the duties that were once performed by attorneys in the past. With that in mind, please note that there are some duties that a paralegal will not be allowed to perform. A paralegal will not be able to:
- give legal opinions and/or legal advice to clients
- represent a client in court
- accept new clients for a firm
- set legal fees.
How Do You Become A Paralegal
Individuals have entered the paralegal profession by different methods. In the past, some individuals have entered the field by obtaining formal training and others have been hired by a firm and given on-the-job-training by the attorney. Today, however, the 3 traditional methods one can take to enter the profession are via a certificate program, an associate degree program, or a 4-year bachelor’s degree program.
Certificate Program:
The certificate program is mostly designed for someone who may already have some college education or a bachelor’s degree in another subject and wants to gain the skills and knowledge for a career change to the paralegal field.
Certificate programs are non-degree programs that are offered through colleges, universities and community colleges. They are also offered through proprietary institutions such as Kaplan University, Strayer University, ITT Technical Institute, University of Phoenix, etc. For a number of the schools, a student will be able to take courses either on campus or online. The length of a certificate program can last from 4 to 18 months with a focus mainly on core legal courses such as Litigation, Legal Writing , Legal Research, Family Law, Corporate Law, Ethics, etc.
The total cost of a certificate program can range from $4,000 upward. Financial aid may or may not be available for a certificate type program and you will need to contact the institution you plan to attend to determine what financial assistance you may be able to utilize.
Associate Degree Program:
An associate degree program in paralegal studies typically takes approximately 2 years to complete. Courses are offered through community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities, and proprietary institutions. Again, in many instances courses can be taken either online or at a campus facility.
During the two years of study, students will not only take core legal courses but also general liberal art courses such as english, math, and science. The length of the program will allow students to take more specialty courses in subjects such as criminal law, bankruptcy law, immigration law, family law, etc.
Upon completion of the program, a student is awarded an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies. The profession does not require passing a state or national exam to become licensed, therefore, once a student completes their education they can then began working as a paralegal.
Cost of an associate degree from a community college can range anywhere from $2,000 per year upward plus the cost of books and fees. The cost at one of the proprietary institutions of learning (Kaplan, Strayer, etc) may prove to be higher than what you will find at your local community college. With that said, a student will want to do their own research to determine what they can get at heir local community college and at what cost in comparison to what they will get at a proprietary institution.
4-Year College Degree:
Some colleges and universities do offer a 4-year Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. In a bachelor’s program, a student’s curriculum will most likely consist of 1/2 general liberal arts courses (english, math, science, etc.) and 1/2 core legal courses. Just as with the associate degree, the length of the 4-year program will allow students to concentrate more in the areas of law they want to specialize in.
Please remember that the cost of a 4-year bachelor’s degree program in paralegal studies will be comparable to what a 4-year degree program would cost for any other course of study. Traditional financial aid through federal, state and private sources would be available for those pursuing an associate or 4-year degree.
Additional Skills and Traits Needed by a Paralegals
Because of the nature of the work paralegals will be involved in, they also will need skills in the following areas:
- Computer Skills: as they will conduct a substantial amount of research via computer and may also have the responsibility of organizing and maintaining their company’s legal documents.
- Organizational Skills: as they may be required to work on more than one case at a time.
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills: as they will be meeting with and interviewing clients as well as communicating with attorneys and other professionals.
Paralegals are non-attorneys but they trained to do the duties that a licensed attorney was traditionally responsible for in days past, therefore, due to the scope of their responsibility, paralegals will also need to possess the following traits as well:
- Professionalism: paralegal must be cognizant of how they present themselves in personal appearance before clients, and also must be careful not to let their personal opinions and biases affect the quality and level of service they provide to clients.
- Confidentiality: paralegals will be required to maintain the same level of confidentiality regarding a client’s case as would the licensed attorney.
- Self-Confidence: paralegals must be able to give clients and other professionals the assurance that they are knowledgeable and competence in the subject matter being dealt with.
Employment Outlook and Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth rate for paralegals between years 2014 and 2024 will be around 8%. This equates to approximately 21,200 new jobs being added in the profession during that time period.
BLS also sites that the median income of paralegals as of May 2015 was $48,810, with the lowest 10% earning less than $30,670 and the highest 10% earning more than $79,010
**Please Note: If you are interest in pursuing a career as a paralegal, you may want to contact a few employers in your area to determine what level of education (certificate, associate degree or bachelor’s degree) they require for the paralegals they hire. This will help you base your decision as to which educational level you will need to pursue.
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