If the world of law fascinates you but you don’t have the time or money to invest in a full blown law degree, a career as a paralegal may be just the thing for you.

A paralegal is an attorney’s assistant whose main responsibilities include doing research and preparation work for trials and hearings. Although they are prohibited by law from giving any kind of legal advice, a qualified paralegal will gradually obtain a solid understanding of the many different aspects involved in practicing law.

Studies have shown that this field is expected to continue to grow through 2018 as more and more lawyers are employing the services of trained paralegals to make their practices more efficient.

In addition to endless hours of pouring over research material and presenting it coherently in written form, a good paralegal will also be handling client interviews and maintaining constant contact with the attorney’s clients. Being able to work independently is important but the best candidate for this job will also have exceptional people skills and be prepared to take care of difficult situations as they arise.

There was a time when most paralegals were college graduates who trained on the job under the guidance of an experienced lawyer. In recent years, it has become more important for job seekers to have more formal training in the form of a certificate program or completion of a two- or four-year college curriculum specifically geared toward the field of law. Degree programs can take as little time as a few months or as long as a couple years depending on your level of experience at the time of entry. Most of today’s paralegals, especially those interested in working for a large firm, have earned at least a bachelor’s degree.

If you would like to get a job with a large corporation or the government, you should consider specializing in one particular area. For example, real estate paralegals are generally responsible for dealing the legal transfer of real property and their knowledge extends to land use issues and environmental regulations. Corporate paralegals focus on various business transactions including, but not limited to, stock offerings and mergers. To get intimately involved with court cases, you can specialize as a litigation paralegal dealing with civil and criminal cases. Other areas of specialty include employment law as well as estate planning and probate.

You will find plenty of choices when it comes to choosing a school for your paralegal education. Options include everything from old fashioned brick and mortar colleges and universities to correspondence and online courses that will allow students to work at their own pace. One thing you should definitely look for is a program that has been approved by the American Bar Association or some other accrediting body that has regional jurisdiction.
Before you choose a school to attend, visit several to get a feel for the surroundings. Slick brochures are nice and informative but nothing substitutes for the real thing and only you will know whether you will be comfortable learning in any given environment.

Whatever your method of education, a career as a paralegal can be rewarding for the right candidate.

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