The dizzying excitement of a paralegal or legal services career is dramatically portrayed on popular and syndicated television shows such as “Boston Legal” and “Law & Order.” Meanwhile, local and national news, as well as court and justice television shows, have provided coverage of high-profile trials and court proceedings that have made major headlines in recent years. With such easy access to the law and legal action courtesy of the American media, it’s no wonder so many young Americans want to pursue law degrees or paralegal certificates each year.
Like any career portrayed in the media (medicine, business, advertising, etc.), real-life law and legal careers don’t always embody the high-drama excitement shown on television. However, they are constantly interesting and engaging, requiring workers to focus on their careers. To begin an entry-level legal or paralegal career (these terms will be used interchangeably throughout the article), a potential hire will generally need to have a degree, or have completed legal studies training courses or a paralegal certification.
Entry-level competition for any career, including the paralegal profession, can be tough. Students who have earned a paralegal certificate or degree are generally considered stronger candidates for entry-level law careers. This is because completing an education demonstrates that a student is mature and responsible enough to handle a daily legal services workload. Many schools in the United States offer a paralegal studies degree program to prepare students for a variety of exciting legal careers. Some of the strongest programs are also approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
The legal or paralegal studies program: What do students learn?
The most important skill sets that a paralegal or paralegal will employ are good reading comprehension and writing skills. Most of a paralegal’s job involves reading and writing, and some legal documents or brief summaries can contain quite complex language and concepts. In addition to English reading and writing courses, many paralegal study programs require students to take specific legal research and legal writing classes.
Strong research and documentation skills are other important components of a legal studies education. Upon completion of a paralegal certification or legal studies professional training program, students should be able to quickly and accurately find and interpret federal, state, and local laws, research legal precedents established by prior hearings or decided cases, and trace evidence that will support the case. Because career opportunities for paralegals and paralegals are so diverse, many legal programs require students to study multiple areas of law. Many ABA-approved schools offer classes in criminal law, family law, property and probate, torts, and civil procedure.
Many schools offer career placement options for students who complete a paralegal or legal services degree program. These student-centered career resources may include resume writing, writing workshops, and cover letter preparation, as well as job opportunities and career placement. This location is often targeted to the area of the country in which the university is located. For example, a college in Los Angeles might offer students placement assistance in Long Beach, Huntington, Irvine, Cerritos, or another city in Los Angeles County, California. Students interested in law or legal careers are most successful at the entry level when they use all the resources their school or university offers, including career counselors and legal or paralegal employment resource boards.
After Legal Studies Education: What Do Paralegals and Paralegals Do?
Upon completion of a degree and professional training program, legal studies students will enter jobs with varying descriptions and duties. Paralegals perform many direct duties for the rest of the legal team. A paralegal or paralegal may be assigned to an attorney or a team of attorneys. For example, a litigation paralegal might help the legal team prepare for trial, including gathering and organizing evidence and court summaries; researching and writing briefs for the case, and even preparing courtroom arguments or exhibits.
Some of the documents a paralegal will write depend on the area of law in which they work. Estate and trust paralegals are likely to help draft wills and financial contracts. Divorce and family law paralegals help draft divorce agreements, child custody summaries, and hearing summaries, or work with the courts to obtain child abuse testimony. Financial and corporate paralegals may prepare tax forms, work on government compliance, or draft business contracts.
A paralegal may also be employed in the public or private legal sector. Legal assistants and paralegals may take notes at meetings, help prepare employee benefits and tax forms, and file important records and documents for the law firm. Some employees may also have more opportunities to conduct more extensive legal research. Other employees may be in charge of determining whether people are eligible for food stamps, housing subsidies, social security assistance, and other benefits.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the need for paralegals and paralegals is expected to grow faster than average through 2014. This is in part because Americans live in a society that is increasingly prone to lawsuits and in part because it is more profitable for law firms to hire paralegals to perform the work of an attorney. A comprehensive education in legal concepts and applications from an ABA-approved or accredited paralegal studies or certificate program, a thorough pursuit of a post-college legal career, and a desire to work hard to acquire increasingly challenging job responsibilities will enable a legal studies student begin a fulfilling legal career.