Paralegal Schools, Training, Salary
Becoming a paralegal is another solid legal career with above-average job growth and career opportunities. I have a friend who just moved to my city from Florida where she was making $68,000 a year with the firm she was with. A good paralegal can command this type of salary and is pretty assured of ongoing job security. Training can be found in your local community colleges or online and would be an excellent investment in your future. As opposed to becoming a court reporter where you are independent, file your quarterly estimated taxes, pay your own health insurance, live on the ebb and flow of commission, a paralegal has the security of a steady income, along with company benefits. If you prefer this type of security, then paralegal studies might be the right thing for you.
Money Magazine published a report under "Best Jobs in America" recently which indicated a job growth of 29.75% for the paralegal profession. Part of the reason for the job growth may be that law firms are hiring paralegals to perform work formerly carried out by lawyers. They listed the total average compensation for a paralegal currently as $61,204.
What does a paralegal do? Here is a definition from the American Bar Association of a paralegal: "A legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible." Seventy percent of paralegals work in a law firm, with jobs available in corporate legal departments and governmental agencies. Work could involve criminal matters, divorce cases, personal injury lawsuits, patent imfringment cases, and a whole realm of civil actions. The work, if nothing else, is always interesting.