Are You Looking For An Exciting Career In The Legal Field?
Working in the legal field is rewarding, but not everyone has 7+ years to dedicate to become a lawyer. Becoming a paralegal is a great way to get into law with only a fraction of the time commitment while still bringing home a substantial paycheck. If you’re ready to start a new exciting journey into law, start by searching online first.
Inside the life of a paralegal
Would you consider yourself detail oriented, creative, or a good communicator? If so, then a career in law could be your true calling. Do you want to miss out on that?
A paralegal uses an ethical knowledge of the law that allows them to work directly with an attorney on research, clerical work, courtroom work, errands, appointment tracking, follow up interviews, and more.
But here’s the thing you should know: a paralegal does not actually give legal advice. You see, paralegals assist lawyers in providing legal services. Their combination of formal education, training, and experience make them incredibly valuable to the legal team, without forcing the client to rack up the large legal fees accrued when working directly with a lawyer.
A paralegal performs tasks that are a mix of admin, communication, research, and more. They must be very efficient, punctual, and organized. This combination makes the paralegal a key, versatile member of any legal team.
Paralegals can also earn a comfortable salary with benefits straight out of their degree program. The average salary of a paralegal is $51,480 all the way up to $77,000+, even with just a 1-2 year education commitment.
5 simple steps to becoming a paralegal
Working in the legal field is very unique and there’s a reason why it’s so well respected. Through your hard work and knowledge, you can be a deciding factor in whether someone gets the proper justice they deserve.
Here’s more good news...
Did you know that currently (more than ever) the legal industry is looking for highly qualified paralegals to work on their teams. Paralegals use their diverse backgrounds, educations, and experience to help their legal team win - that could be you!
But not all paralegals sit around in a law firm all day. You will be needed around the country in banks, private corporations, hospitals, and government agencies.
With all the different things you can potentially focus on as a paralegal, it’s important to know how to get on the path towards your new dream job. You definitely don’t want to waste a single minute getting the wrong certification or joining the wrong organization!
To help you navigate the path as quickly as possible, we’ve simplified dozens of interviews from professional paralegals into 5 easy steps below. You’ll need these steps no matter what you end up doing:
- Determine what you want to focus on (corporate law, real-estate law, etc.)
- Find an accredited program that offers the necessary level of education (certificate, associates, bachelors, masters)
- Pass the certification exams (CP, CLA, etc)
- Interview for jobs
- Begin your career as a paralegal
Bonus tips for being a great paralegal
Just imagine that you have finally determined which area you want to focus on and after a short time getting your education, you’re ready to start your first job as a real paralegal.
Your daily tasks might include:
Interviewing clients Writing reports Researching Discussing cases with attorneys Tracking appointments Clerical work
Regardless of the specific task, your new employer will expect you to be able to hit the ground running. What we found was that new employees who had some sort of internship, performed some pro bono work, or received mentorship before their first job had increased success.
So what’s the single best thing you can do to be sure you are prepared when you enter the workforce?
One word: networking
Networking is extremely important for paralegals. Because of the nature of the business, your ability to know the right people can make a big difference as you walk through your career. To help this, consider joining your local and national legal organization or paralegal associations.
And don’t think you have to finish your education before joining those groups. In fact, joining as a student will impress your future employer and expose you to current people, cases, laws, and trends in the field and put you far ahead your peers.
The real paralegal world is very fast paced and building relationships early and often will equip you with the knowledge to have great success in your new career.
A paralegal is a key player on any legal team.
The legal field is not going away and in fact, the need for qualified professionals is increasing. That means now is the perfect time for you to join in on this exciting field - we think you’ve got what it takes.
The legal field does have a learning curve if you’re not experienced. But don’t let that discourage you. If you can stick it out and continue to learn, network, and grow, you will succeed.
Once you’ve had some success, it’s common for paralegals to branch off and do freelancing work. This allows them much more flexibility and control of their schedule while maintaining a great income.
Just imagine how nice it will feel being able to do consulting for a company remotely from home (or a tropic island).
If you’re ready to begin your calling into the legal field, search online to find high-quality resources immediately