Becoming A Paralegal Is A Hands-on Career

For anyone interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession with a more hands on approach to law without actually being a lawyer, or are looking for a way to get a foot in the door of the legal field, becoming a paralegal may be the ideal choice. Most people have heard of the term "paralegal" or "legal assistant", but are unsure as to the exact details of what a paralegal does.

A paralegal or a legal assistant is a person who is employed by a law office, corporation, individual, or government agency, who performs legal work for which a lawyer is usually responsible. A paralegal has many, many legal responsibilities, but cannot actually legally give out legal advice. The duties of a paralegal include, but are not limited to:

-Writing court documents and petitions
-Filing court documents and petitions
-Conducting client interviews
-Conducting witness interviews
-Managing trial dockets
-Preparing documents for trial
-Ensuring that all case documents are readily available for attorneys

This is only a small and partial list of the responsibilities of a legal assistant. The responsibilities of an individual paralegal will vary greatly depending on the type of law firm or corporation for which he works. Paralegals work in all fields of the legal arena, including, but not limiting to:

-Bankruptcy
-Child Support
-Employment and Workers Compensation
-Criminal
-Personal Injury
-Domestic and Family Law
-State and Federal Tax

It is possible to become an entry level paralegal from an on-the-job training at a law firm, but some paralegal positions actually require a paralegal certificate from an accredited legal or vocational school. This is not recommended or needed unless a person wishes to become a career paralegal, in which case he may need to check with the American Bar Association. Being an entry level paralegal is a great way to decide if the legal industry is one that you might actually want to pursue. The advantages of being a paralegal are as follows:

First, being a paralegal may give you an advantage if you plan to get into law school. School administrators may feel that your experience as a paralegal shows how carefully you have considered your decision to enter into the field of law. Second, working as a paralegal can help you get higher paying jobs. Working as a paralegal with major corporations may lead to advancement opportunities within the company.

The annual salary of a paralegal has fluctuated greatly over the past several years in the United States, because a degree is not usually required to enter this field. It ranges from $19,000 per year to $22,000 per year. This is the standard base salary of a paralegal working a 40-hour week. Most law firms that hire paralegals expect them to work many odd hours and frequent double overtime, so it is very easy to increase one's salary. Many corporations that employ paralegals also expect them to work odd and long hours, often overnight and on weekends and holidays to make sure their cases are properly prepared.