Thoughts about being a Paralegal?

Question

I have been thinking of getting a certificate to be a paralegal. I was wondering what are the duties of the job? Is it really hard? Does it pay well? Is it rewarding? Is it a good job? What characteristics and skills are needed for the job?Tips on getting a job like that.
If anyone has advice let me know. Please

Answer 1

The best advice I can give you is to work in a court before seeking employment as a paralegal. You get great experience in the court and can learn a lot from the system. There you can decide which area of the law you would want to work in. Most lawyers specialize in certain types of law, so working with the court would allow you to experiment with the justice system and decide which area you prefer. One bad thing about a paralegal, in my opinion, is most lawyers don't offer insurance or sick/vacation days. Depending on where you live is whether or not the pay is good. Hope that helps a little. Good luck!

Answer 2

Paralegal is a great career in the long run. When you first start out the pay isn't superb and it is a little tough adjusting to working with attorneys. Once you get past the first year or two and have your feet firmly planted you will find that it is a very exciting and rewarding job.

Duties vary depending on where you work. Possible duties are: client interviews, legal research (a lot!!!), writing briefs, drafting pleadings, case tracking, discovery, and attending depositions and hearings. Paralegals have to be detail oriented, focused, multi taskers, able to work under stress and within unrealistic deadlines, and able to keep track of numerous cases. It isn't necessarily hard, it seems like it at first because, even if you have a 2 year paralegal degree, school can't completely prepare you for the job. But once the initial shock wears off, it becomes natural.

The pay is good for only having a two year degree. Beginning paralegals don't make much, only about $33-36k. Once your work product is impecable and you get past 3+ years of working in the field, the pay increases drastically. Paralegals with over 5 years experience make upwards of $55-65k.

Check out this link:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm
It gives you a run down of the job, duties, pay, etc...

I recommend only going to an American Bar Association accredited institute for your degree. You can find a list of these in your are at:
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/paralegals/directory/home.html

I also recommend getting your foot in the door at a law office right away. It is really hard to find a job, even after getting a paralegal degree, if you have no law office experience. Legal secretaries make about $15/hour. So think about working as a legal secretary while you go to school.

Good luck to you with whatever you decide!!

Answer 3

Like any specialized field, know that competition will be tight. Specializing also will preclude you from other opportunities, so be aware of that as well.

Paralegal pay is very good in proportion to the amount and time spent on getting the training (2 year certification).

Like any employer would require, you need to be at the top of your game everyday. Skills like writing, verbal communication and multitasking are essential. Above all, master the art of dealing with people.

If you are considering law school, don't do it. I'll save that post for another question.

Answer 4

I was interested in becoming one. Then I worked with some lawyers as a receptionist and found them to have severe ego problems.
You can check your local state workforce development online and check out salaries in your area. But depending where you live, it pays approximately under $14.00 an hour.