The Online Paralegal Program Project

Paralegal Program Guide

Becoming a paralegal means working with essential legal issues in a fast-paced environment without spending seven years and thousands of dollars for a J.D. This job profile identifies the job duties, employment opportunities, salary, career path, and training for anyone willing to obtain a paralegal degree.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Paralegals form the backbone of legal offices, performing administrative and support functions that allow attorneys to dedicate more time to the core practice of law. Depending on their specialization, paralegals and legal assistants may research legal precedents, judicial decisions, and industry studies; organize information into reports and summaries presented to attorneys; prepare legal arguments, pleadings, and motions; and file case documents via software or physical storage in a meaningful and accessible manner.

Places of Employment

The majority of paralegals, 71%, work for law firms, but employment can be gained through a variety of industries. Some people with paralegal degrees even choose to work as freelancers or start their own consulting businesses.

As an example, corporate paralegals typically work in the legal departments of large and small corporations. Typical workplaces include insurance companies, banks, Fortune 500 companies, and real estate companies. These paralegals help attorneys with financial reports, shareholder agreements, personal compensation plans, employee contracts, corporate complaints, and regulatory supervision.

Litigation paralegals may also work for corporations or for non-profit organizations, social services groups, and government agencies. They mainly help attorneys prepare for lawsuits naming the agency as a party, whether as a plaintiff or a defendant. Litigation paralegals may research issues; collect and analyze evidence; issue explanatory memos on new laws, governmental regulations, and agency policies; and prepare documents and other legal materials. Litigation paralegals cannot present cases in front of the court, which is a duty reserved for professionally recognized attorneys.

Job Outlook

Paralegal and legal assistant positions are some of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. While the average national growth for most jobs is about 11%, paralegal jobs are expected to explode at a rate of 28% from 2008 to 2018. As more law firms attempt to cut costs by asking paralegals to perform duties traditionally left to lawyers, the demand for qualified applicants will continue to grow.

The greatest level of paralegal job growth is expected to occur in the areas of healthcare, environmental law, intellectual property, criminal law, and international law. Many of the positions addressing these issues will be added to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Salary

Paralegal salaries depend on several factors, including: the size and financial health of the employer, the demand for legal services in the local economy, the individual’s relevant experience, and whether the individual graduated from an accredited paralegal degree program.

A paralegal’s typical annual wages range from $36,000 to $59,000. The highest paying positions tend to be in the federal government, followed by the management sector of private companies, insurance carriers, employment services, and legal services. Top-earners can make more than $73,000 per year, not including paid time off, health insurance benefits, tuition reimbursement, and other forms of compensation. Some paralegals are eligible for overtime pay while others work on a straight salary basis.

Career Advancement

Entry-level paralegals generally gain higher salaries, more responsibilities, and less supervision as they progress in their careers. Paralegals may be promoted into senior positions, delegating work to other paralegals and clerical staff, or into managerial roles within the legal departments or government agencies. Some paralegals also choose to pursue additional education and practice law themselves. One way to start a paralegal career or be promoted through the ranks is to obtain relevant paralegal degrees and training.

Education Requirements

To be called a paralegal, an employee must hold at least an associate’s degree in paralegal studies or a paralegal certificate and a bachelor’s degree in any field. Most paralegal programs combine training in other fields, such as accounting, real estate, business, criminal justice, or social work. Having an education that is relevant to the potential employer’s industry improves the chances of employment. Few employers make a distinction between online paralegal programs and their campus-based counterparts.

Students who have graduated with paralegal degrees certified by the American Bar Association, ABA, also receive special consideration during application reviews and interviews. Attorneys recognize the invaluable preparation that these campus-based and online paralegal programs provide.

Another way for applicants to set themselves apart is to earn a voluntary certificate. Options include:

• Certified Paralegal or Certified Legal Assistant credential issued by the National Association of Legal Assistants
• American Alliance Certified Paralegal credential issued by the American Alliance of Paralegals
• Registered Paralegal designation awarded by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations
• Professional Paralegal certification granted by the National Association of Legal Secretaries
• Degree-Based and On-the-Job Training

The concepts learned within online paralegal programs or through on-the-job training vary by specialization. The basics included in virtually every paralegal degree include legal terminology, torts, contracts, legal research, civil litigation, and legal ethics. Students learn how to identify and apply federal, state, and local statutes; how to use legal databases for research; how to draft basic legal documents; how to pursue a paralegal career without illegally practicing law; and how to assist with other aspects of the legal process as requested.

Advanced and specialty courses cover such topics as criminal law, property law, bankruptcy, estates, family law, constitutional law, dispute resolution, patent and copyright law, tax law, employment law, environmental law, immigration law, and contracts.

Employers teach information that paralegal degrees cannot, including how to adhere to organizational policies and practices, how to use employer-specific software, and how to resolve legal issues with a particular sector or line of business.

Outlook

Overall, being a paralegal means having a financially rewarding career with numerous opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Positions are available in for-profit, non-profit, and governmental agencies, whether the employer is dedicated to the practice of law or simply houses a legal department. The best career opportunities will go to applicants with relevant experience and a paralegal degree.