Navigating the legal system can be complex, and it is important to effectively serve clients in the most accurate and ethical capacity when dealing with their legal cases. This is the reason the legal field requires a team of skilled legal professionals.
While attorneys represent clients and take the lead in the courtroom, paralegals are a core part of making lawyers’ work environment sustainable, productive and viable. These professionals are an attorney’s right-hand man and are essential to serving clients in the most effective way possible.
What is a Paralegal?
Paralegals are legal professionals who typically have at least an associate’s degree in paralegal studies and assist attorneys with legal cases. They are the right-hand men of lawyers and are often the backbone of legal operations, keeping the legal process organized and efficient. They serve as essential bridges between attorneys, clients, and other legal professionals to ensure legal work runs smoothly.
What Does a Paralegal Do?
Under attorney supervision, paralegals manage and engage in complex legal projects, and, ultimately, can do everything a lawyer can do except give legal advice and represent clients in court. Paralegals do a lot of behind-the-scenes work for attorneys; they conduct legal research, draft legal documents (from court pleadings to corporate contracts), interview clients and witnesses, prepare trial exhibits, and maintain and organize files. In addition, they also perform the following duties:
- Support attorneys during trials and legal proceedings
- Analyze precedent-setting cases
- Manage responses to legal discoveries
- Prepare detailed summaries for lawyers to review
- Develop case strategies alongside legal teams
Paralegals responsibilities can also vary depending on their level of experience, education/training, and/or the law firm or attorney that they work for. For example, paralegals working in small firms may work on a case from beginning to end, while at larger firms, paralegals would work on a certain phase of a case since there are more legal professionals to divide the work. There is also a difference between paralegals who work in corporate offices versus paralegals who work in law firms. Corporate paralegals are mainly in charge of managing and reviewing legislation that impacts a company’s products or services, and they assist in implementing changes to contracts that comply with industry regulations. On the other hand, litigation paralegals are responsible for assisting attorneys in trial preparation, conducting legal research for a case, and drafting pleadings, motions, and appellate documents.
All in all, paralegals across industries may have some of the same general scope of work but can vary in the type of workload and ways of handling different cases. Therefore, it is important to consider and evaluate the scope of work that paralegals do from industry to industry.
Where Do Paralegals Work?
Paralegals work in a variety of fields both within the public and private sectors. From healthcare to real estate and corporate legal departments to traditional law firms, the work environment opportunities for paralegals are unique and versatile. Most paralegals work in law firms, but they can also specialize in a field of law to best tailor to their interests and passions.
A few specializations of law where paralegals can work, include:
Law Firms – Most paralegals work in traditional law firms, where they work under attorneys to conduct legal research related to cases. Although this type of legal work is often popular, the work environment is fast paced with tight deadlines.
Corporations – In this sector, paralegals assist with contract management for businesses and ensure the company follows industry standards and regulations. They also oversee mergers, acquisitions, trademark and copyright filings, and lawsuits.
Real Estate – Real estate companies employ paralegals to efficiently and ethically handle the litigation of the home buying and selling process, while formulating contracts and mortgage agreements.
Healthcare – Paralegals can work in the healthcare sector and assist with administering patient privacy issues (e.g., HIPPA), insurance claims, and overall regulatory compliance.
Government Agencies – Paralegals employed by government agencies are responsible for conducting legislative research, drafting policy, and regulating compliance with laws. Paralegals in this sector can be employed for either the local, state or federal government.
Entertainment & Sports – Within sports or media, paralegals are hired to assist with contract negotiations, licensing, and intellectual property pertaining to the entertainment industry.
Overall, these are a few areas where paralegals can pursue their careers. However, there are an abundance of opportunities to practice law and specialize in, such as tax law, estate planning and probate, immigration law, environmental law, and the list goes on for fields that require individuals to read, interpret, and write the law.
What is the Career Outlook of a Paralegal?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, 366, 200 jobs were a large portion of paralegal and legal assistant professionals, and the largest employer of paralegals will continue to be law firms.
Depending on the geographic location, credentials, and the job market, a paralegal’s salary can vary. As specified in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for paralegals was $60, 970 in 2023, while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,710, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $98,830.
If you want to maximize your earning potential as a paralegal, consider advancing your education (i.e., a bachelor’s degree and/or certifications), or seeking opportunities internally within your employer.
How to Start Your Career as a Paralegal Professional?
Degree requirements and certifications vary state by state, so it is important for a person to review where they would like to pursue their paralegal career.
According to O’Net Online, the majority of paralegals are required to at least have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate’s degree. However, most employers prefer these legal professionals to have an associate or bachelor’s degree.
To become a paralegal, consider earning an associate or bachelor’s degree to make you a marketable and desirable prospect in the field. Paralegal studies programs accredited by the American Bar Association foster a strong foundation in the legal field and equip individuals with a high-quality education (e.g., well-rounded course content, qualified instructors, internship opportunities with practical experiences, and student resources and support). In addition, employers prefer or often require graduates to have a degree from an A.B.A. approved program, which confirms one’s credibility to have strong knowledge and skills in the legal field.
Begin your career as a paralegal professional with University of Providence’s Associate of Science or Bachelor of Science in Legal and Paralegal Studies. As an American Bar Association (A.B.A.) approved program, the legal and paralegal studies associate and bachelor’s degrees are designed to prepare students for challenging paralegal positions or for law school. The program offers students local Great Falls internship opportunities that include: the county attorney office, public defender’s office, military tort claims division, military JAG support positions, and private law firms, to name a few. Out of state internship opportunities are also considered contingent upon the approval of the legal and paralegal studies advisor. UP’s Legal and Paralegal Studies program is built around a robust and holistic core curriculum that highlights the legal system and legal field opportunities. Students are well-equipped with practical experiences, and they adapt an intellectual critical-thinking ability to always understand the law in the future.
Learn more about University of Providence’s Legal and Paralegal Studies Degrees.
