Paralegal Career Opportunities and Field Specialties

When most people think of the paralegal career, they often assume the paralegal is nothing more than an attorney’s underpaid assistant. But paralegals don’t just answer phones or run errands for the head attorney. They also have extensive knowledge of the legal system and they’re considered important members of any legal team.

The Rise of the Paralegal

In truth, the paralegal performs a wide variety of tasks, which means no two days are alike. However, there is a basic paralegal job description complete with core functions that they will commonly perform in every type of law office. This includes interviewing clients, creating presentations, conducting legal research, creating legal documents, performing administrative duties, and much more.

While they do in fact assist attorneys, their job duties require much more than completing basic office tasks. Many of the paralegal’s tasks can differ depending on the area of the law the lawyer specializes in. As an example, the litigation paralegal will prepare lawyers for each court appearance.

Often, the paralegal will work in a private law firm, under the direct supervision of one, or a team of lawyers. While paralegal services do not include providing legal advice to clients, establishing legal fees, representing clients in court, or signing any legal documents, they do a majority of the paperwork and research that goes into case and court preparation.

Why You Should Choose a Specialty Area

Specialization is one solid way to increase your marketability in this field. While basic paralegal certification programs can prepare you for general work, there are many opportunities for you to focus your career on a specific area of law.

Don’t think of specializing in a certain area of law as boxing yourself in, instead, think of it as a way to broaden your skillset. You can become an expert in a specific area, yet still have basic knowledge of general duties that will allow you to easily take on any project in any area of the law.

So, if you have your sights set on working for a major law firm, in order to make a higher paralegal salary, choosing an area to specialize in can be the very thing that sets you apart from the competition.

There are a couple of ways to go about specializing in this field; experience or additional education at a local paralegal school.

Specialization Options

There are several specialty areas to choose from, and in some cases, you can even choose from a variety of niche specialties. Some of the top specialization areas include the following:

Administrative: This type of law deals with agencies and governments at the federal, state, and local levels. If you specialize in this field, casework can focus on welfare programs, disability, immigration, and public health.

Appellate: In this field, a lawyer specializes in overseeing the process of appeals. The paralegal will work for a firm that deals with appeals in either federal or state courts for criminal or civil cases.

Corporate: The lawyer will advise a company of their rights, responsibilities, and obligations. This field typically includes legal issues that range from legislative compliance and intellectual property law, to contract law. Paralegals can work for in-house corporate lawyers or corporate lawyer law firms.

Criminal defense: A criminal defense lawyer represents a client that has been accused of committing a crime. These crimes can range from murder to traffic violations. The paralegal will work alongside private counsel or attorneys who are employed by the government.

Disability: This field includes worker’s compensation claims, social security disability law, and the rights of individuals who are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A lawyer who specializes in this field will help their clients to file claims and file appeals if their client has been denied disability compensation. This is one field that requires extensive research on the paralegal’s part.

Environmental: Considered a major legal specialty, this field of the law focuses on issues related to water rights, gas and oil exploration, real estate, and energy trade regulation. Paralegals who decide to work in this field can work for government agencies, in-house counsel, or private firms.

Family law: Family law describes legal issues involving prenuptial agreements, adoptions, guardianship, custody, child support, and divorce. Paralegals who work in family law often work for smaller firms, although there are large family law firms. Working in the public defender’s office is another option. In this setting, the paralegal will assist lawyers in dealing with cases that involve child welfare, abuse, or delinquency.

Immigration: This is a broad field of study that focuses on the naturalization process. The paralegal will work with attorneys for the federal government who enforce immigration laws for private firms, or for nonprofit organizations.

Intellectual property: This area of the law focuses on protecting the rights of businesses, authors, and inventors. The paralegal can work for a lawyer who specializes in trademark law, copyright law, trade secrets or patent law.

Personal injury: Paralegals will work with clients who are suffering from psychological or physical damage as the result of medical malpractice or workplace injuries. Personal injury law also includes wrongful death and product liability cases.

Real estate: Paralegals that specialize in real estate law will work alongside lawyers who specialize in overseeing legal protection that’s associated with real property and real estate. The paralegal can work for firms that represent contractors, real estate agents, developers, sellers, and buyers. Casework will focus on land use and zoning, real estate investment, foreclosures, mortgages, and landlord issues.

Education and Training

Most paralegals have either a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree, or a certificate in paralegal studies. Education, training, and certification requirements can vary from state to state.

The Skills of the Paralegal

To start, the paralegal must have solid knowledge of legal terminology, state and federal rules of legal procedures, excellent communication skills and organizational skills, and the ability to multitask. Communication skills are considered crucial because the paralegal is often the one to maintain regular contact with clients. Strong writing and research skills are also a must for research memorandums, discovery, and drafting pleadings, in addition to other documents.

Job Outlook

The paralegal career has been ranked as one of the best twenty jobs in the country. The factors that contribute to job growth include a healthy legal market and job attrition. Because legal fees continue to rise, many clients are now demanding the use of paralegals over high-priced lawyers, whenever possible. Large caseloads have also encouraged both small and major firms to employ more paralegals in order to carry out job duties that were formerly reserved for professional staff and lawyers, which has created a significant rise in employment opportunities for paralegals.

According to the BLS, there will be a ten percent rise in demand for paralegals within the next two years.

The Changing Role of the Paralegal

In the 1970s, the paralegal was nothing more than a glorified assistant, but times have changed. Explosive growth, economic necessity, and client demands have made this position a popular career choice, with employment options available in a wide range of fields.

Over the past decade, compensation for this position has also been steadily on the rise. Because these professionals now perform a more complex and broader range of tasks, their earnings continue to increase, offering impressive starting salaries, overtime options, and bonuses.

Considered one of the fastest growing careers in the country, this position also enjoys a faster than average growth rate of around four to five percent a year.

And unlike attorneys who must complete seven years of formal training and education and pass the bar exam, the paralegal can begin working in the field in as little as a year. Additionally, the paralegal can earn their education via online programs, which makes working their way towards this exciting field convenient, fast, and easy, when compared to juggling the rigorous schedules offered by the average brick and mortar institution.

But don’t let the shorter than average training and education requirements fool you, the work can be very intellectually challenging, requiring a wide range of high-level skills. In order to be successful as a paralegal, you must be an innovative thinker and an excellent problem solver. On the job, you’ll soon find that you’ll become somewhat of a subject matter expert in your specialty field. But you’ll need to stay on top of new legal trends and constantly changing laws. Because the work is so varied, each and every day can bring about new challenges.

As the paralegals perform more challenging and complex work, their value is constantly rising. No longer just an attorney’s assistant, the paralegal can assume leadership roles in major law firms or management roles in corporations. Over the past several years the paralegal has become a well-respected member of the legal team.

Working with the People

Working as a paralegal also gives individuals the opportunity to work with and help people in the community. These opportunities can vary and will often depend on the area of practice. As an example, a paralegal that specializes in personal injury can help a client receive worker’s compensation benefits, while the paralegal that specializes in intellectual property can help a client to obtain a patent and protect their ideas.

While the paralegal does work under the direct supervision of a lawyer, many paralegals will also have direct contact with all clients. They will interview any potential clients and assess the merits of each individual case. They will also prepare clients for cross-examination and depositions, and work with them to collect the appropriate documents for court appearances. In certain areas of practice, the paralegal will also guide the client through the entire process, providing support and informal counsel.

The way that legal services are delivered has experienced a radical shift. The attorney no longer has a monopoly on the law. Because new laws are now opening the doors for the paralegal to perform more tasks than ever before, there has also been an increase in paralegal firms popping up all over the country. Paralegals will continue to serve a crucial role in keeping legal fees down as more groups and organizations push for equal access to affordable legal services.

What to Expect on the Job

Paralegals work long hours, nights, weekends, and some holidays. These legal pros tend to carry a lot of weight on their shoulders because every single detail matters. There’s really no room for error in this field, especially when it comes to court scheduling or tracking deadlines. Even the smallest mistake can have a major impact in the legal world. Checking facts and paying close attention to detail is crucial, especially when it comes to grammar and spelling. The paralegal will look over documents created by a lawyer, and it will be their job to correct citation mistakes, inaccuracies, and grammar errors, which is why editing skills and the ability to fine-tune writing is important for success in this field.

If you’re seriously considering becoming a paralegal, many pros in this field recommend taking the highest level of training available. Paralegals that are technologically proficient will impress their attorneys and will be in higher demand. This will translate to a higher paralegal salary and better benefits.

In terms of additional training, in this profession, professionals who are detail oriented and possess strong computer and writing skills are very important. But there are also other ways you can stand out in this field. Seek out courses that provide training in communication skills, etiquette, and client interaction, since presenting a professional image to attorneys, court staff, and clients are very important. Be mindful of every verbal slipup and never casually interact with clients if you can help it. It’s important to represent yourself and the law firm you work for as best as you can, and this includes communicating in a highly professional manner.