Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Paralegal Jobs & Careers

Career Center - by Get Degrees Staff

When you earn your paralegal degree, you train for a wide range of careers in attorneys’ offices, corporate law departments, financial institutions, and government agencies. If you’re interested in law, a career as a paralegal is a great way to get into the field without committing to law school before you’re ready.

Paralegal Jobs & Careers

Earning your paralegal degree lets you choose from a wide range of in-demand careers. More than ever, attorneys, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and financial institutions are turning to paralegals and legal assistants to carry out essential duties in research, reporting, and documentation. While some 70 percent of all paralegals work for law firms, graduates from paralegal degree programs can find work all across the corporate, non-profit, and government sectors.

Here are but a few of the specializations and career fields open to paralegal degree holders:

• Abstractor
• Accounts Receivable Clerk
• Appraiser
• Banking Investigators/Researcher
• Claims Examiners and Investigator
• Community Legal Services Clerk
• Corporate Documentation and Regulatory Specialist
• Divorce and Custody Investigator
• Environmental Researcher
• Estate Researcher
• Law Clerk
• Litigation Researcher
• Legal Assistant
• Legal Secretarie
• Medical Malpractice Investigator
• Notary Public
• Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
• Paralegal
• Social Science Researcher
• Taxation Specialists and Investigator

Working in the Paralegal Professions

Professionals in the paralegal field perform a great many functions at hearings, corporate meetings, and court trials, including:

• Court or Administrative Board Reporting
• Financial, Accident, and Collateral Investigation
• Client Deposition
• Calendar and Court Filing
• Case Support

Paralegals may help attorneys prepare for cases by reviewing legal decisions and judicial law. They can assist preparation for a wide range of proceedings in civil and criminal law including divorce, bankruptcy, intellectual property, personal injury and malpractice, real estate, trusts, employee benefits, and labor laws.

Paralegals don’t simply support law firms and local/state/federal government organizations; they are indispensable members of legal teams for banks, insurance companies, notaries, underwriters, title companies, museums, universities, nonprofit organizations, detective or police agencies, colleges, and the mass media. The U.S. Department of Justice, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury are the largest government employers of paralegals and legal assistants.

Coursework for the paralegal degree program can include studies in legal research techniques, legal ethics, legal terminology, civil and criminal procedure, family law, interviews and depositions, probate law, estate and gift laws, evidence, personal injury, debtor and bankruptcy law, legal forms for business organizations, torts and remedies, and technology. An internship with a law firm, corporation, or governmental organization can provide hands-on experience and a lifetime of professional contacts.

The Paralegal Degree and Careers

The Department of Labor predicts a substantial, 22 percent increase in jobs for paralegals and legal assistants between 2006 and 2016. Paralegals that hold emerging specializations in environmental law, intellectual property, senior citizen issues, criminal law, and healthcare law are expected to attract the greatest number of new jobs. There is also a high projected demand for paralegal specialists who have training in product liability, medical malpractice, bankruptcy, and real estate foreclosures.

New jobs remain with law firms, but new positions are also expected to emerge with title companies, corporate legal departments, banking, and insurance companies. Community or legal service organizations funded by state and local governments are also expected to turn over a large amount of case loads to paralegals, freeing up attorneys for actual courtroom duties.

This diverse and challenging career is just the ticket for anyone looking to get into law without committing to law school. Start on your way to becoming a paralegal by enrolling in a degree program today.

Woodrow Aames
Woodrow Aames has written articles and profiles for Yahoo, Microsoft Network, Microsoft Encarta, and other websites and print magazines around the world. He holds an MFA degree and has taught English abroad.