Paralegal Schools
by State

If you’re passionate about the law and want to work alongside lawyers, helping them by doing research, organizing files, drafting documents, scheduling meetings with clients, and performing other office tasks, a career as a paralegal may be the right choice for you.

This profession will continue to be needed in the future, both at legal firms and at real estate, insurance, or financial companies that have in-house legal departments.

In this section, you will find out more about this career path, education requirements, salary prospects, and other information designed to help you decide if this profession is a good fit for your skills, lifestyle, and career aspirations.

What Does a Paralegal Do?

Although job descriptions vary depending on the employer, the type and size of the organization, and the number of paralegals and legal assistants who work at the firm, paralegals usually have the following tasks included in their job description:

• Investigating and gathering facts relevant to a case
• Researching the laws, regulations, and legal articles that apply to a specific case
• Organizing legal documents and maintaining the legal database for each case
• Writing summary reports to help lawyers prepare for trial
• Gathering and arranging exhibits
• Drafting contracts, affidavits, subpoenas, and other legal documents
• Getting affidavits and other formal statements to be used in court
• Handling exhibits, taking notes, and performing other tasks that help lawyers in court
• Filing briefs, exhibits, and other legal documents
• Scheduling interviews, meetings, and depositions with clients, witnesses, lawyers, or other parties
• Maintaining communication with clients, thus acting as a liaison between them and the attorney

These roles vary depending on the type of company and the industry sector they work for.

For example, paralegals who work in criminal defense law spend a lot of time locating and interviewing witnesses while those who work in banking and finances have to review financial documents, draft leases, deeds, agreements, and other legal documents specific to this field.

Paralegals use computers when managing and organizing large amounts of documents and data collected for cases.
They must know how to manage electronic databases and keep up with the latest software used in the field.

Paralegals usually work full-time and they may spend long hours at the desk, sitting in front of the computer but they may also travel to clients’ locations or as part of the research process.

The materials they organize may include emails, data, documents, accounting databases, and websites.

Usually, paralegals work under the supervision of a lawyer in a law firm but there are also some who work in non-traditional environments, such as corporations, insurance companies, financial institutions, and other types of firms that have in-house legal departments.

Depending on the environment they work in, paralegals may have different specialties.

Those who help lawyers prepare employee contracts, shareholder agreements, and financial reports are called corporate paralegals.

Litigation paralegals are those who maintain documents, conduct research, and organize evidence that will be used in depositions and trials.

Labor Law paralegals are specialized in issues between employees and employers, including poor working conditions or discrimination.

They may specialize even further, depending on the legal field, in areas such as personal injury, intellectual property, bankruptcy, family law, or real estate.

The paralegals’ work is typically billed to the client.

As they gain experience, paralegals may be promoted to supervisory positions and oversee a team of paralegals.

Paralegals often work in teams that include attorneys, paralegals, and other legal support staff.

They typically work in an office but may have to travel to gather information and perform other support tasks.

What Prospects Do Paralegals Have?

Paralegals and legal assistants held approximately 345,600 jobs in the United States in 2020, most of them being employed in the field of legal services.

Many corporations have their in-house legal departments to cut costs and paralegals can also find jobs in finance, insurance, consulting firms, hospitals, or other healthcare providers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 12 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.

This will result, on average, in 43,000 jobs in these professions each year across the nation.

More job openings for paralegals will result in law firms they try to become more efficient and reduce costs billed to clients.

This is explained by the fact that paralegals’ billing rates are less expensive and they can perform a variety of tasks that were once done by entry-level lawyers.

Job prospects also vary depending on the region.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the metropolitan areas with the highest employment level for paralegals in 2021 were New York-Newark-Jersey City, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin.

Larger cities, in general, usually offer more job opportunities for paralegals than smaller towns.

Earning a certificate or degree and becoming certified by an agency can make it easier for you to find an entry-level job at a law firm.

Completing an internship during college will also look good on your resume and give you an advantage on the job market by proving to your potential employer that you are familiar with the basic tasks performed by paralegals.

How Much Does a Paralegal Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage reported by paralegals and legal assistants as of May 2021 was $56,230.

This means that half of the workers in this field made less than this amount while half earned more.

Salaries vary depending on the place of employment, occupation, and job description, among many other factors.

The lowest 10 percent of paralegals and legal assistants earned less than $36,410 while the top 10 percent made more than $88,640.

Salaries are also influenced by the field of employment.

Those who worked for the federal government reportedly earned $69,680 per year, on average while those in the field of legal services made $48,270.

Higher than average salaries were also reported in the field of finance and insurance- where the median wage reported by workers in these professions was calculated at $64,740.

Salaries also fluctuate depending on the region of employment.

According to BLS, the top paying state for paralegals was the District of Columbia, where the median annual wage reported by paralegals and legal assistants was $83,410- higher than the national average.

Other top-paying states were Washington, California, and Massachusetts, where the median salaries were $71,900, $70,290, and $66,820, respectively.

Higher-than-average salaries were also reported by paralegals in Oregon, Alaska, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Colorado, and Illinois.

On the other hand, paralegals in Arkansas and Mississippi earned less than $45,000 per year on average.

The highest paying metropolitan areas for Paralegals and legal assistants were San-Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward.

Median salaries in these regions were $90,640, $76,960, and $75,640 respectively.

Moving to a larger city can mean a higher salary and more job opportunities, but also higher rent and living expenses, so it’s up to you to decide if relocation is an option.

Education Requirements for Paralegals

Paralegals typically have an associate’s degree or certificate in paralegal studies or a bachelor’s degree in paralegals studies or another field.

Two-year associate degree programs in paralegal studies are available at many institutions.

These programs usually cover topics on:

• Legal research
• Legal writing
• Legal applications of computer software
• Corporate Law
• International Law
• And other academic subjects

However, employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree and a certificate.

Bachelor’s degree programs in paralegal studies are not common and for this reason, paralegals hold a bachelor’s degree in a different field, such as social science or business, and achieve a certificate or master’s degree in paralegal studies afterward.

Certificates in paralegal studies are available at a variety of institutions approved by the American Bar Association.

Some programs are available on-campus on flexible schedules to allow students to keep a full-time job while preparing for a new profession or online.

Online programs can typically be completed by students at their own pace, from the comfort of their homes.

Certificate programs usually take one year or less to complete.

Masters of Legal Studies degrees are also offered and take between one and two years to achieve.

Accredited paralegal post-secondary programs may also help students find an internship.

These give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in class in a practical setting.

Some institutions offer voluntary paralegal certifications for students who pass an exam and for those who meet education and experience requirements.

Tuition costs vary widely depending on the type of institution, the length of the program, and many other factors.
Post-degree certificate programs can cost anywhere between a few thousand dollars and more than $10,000.

Associate Degree program costs also vary between less than $1,000 and more than $5,000 per year.

Besides formal education, there are also some personal skills that will make you a better paralegal:
Communication skills are very important because as a paralegal you will be part of a team and will have to present your findings to your supervisors.

Computer skills are typically required when doing legal research, when providing litigation support and when organizing documents.

Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are needed because paralegals have to develop good relationships with their coworkers and they must make clients feel comfortable when sharing personal information.

Paralegals may have to handle multiple cases at the same time and need good organizational skills and the ability to adapt to deadlines.

Research skills are needed when gathering facts about relevant laws and regulations and when drafting legal documents.

Critical thinking is another job requirement when determining the factors that are relevant to a specific case.

Do Paralegals Need A License or Certification?

There are no experience requirements for entry-level Paralegal positions at a national level.

Only California regulates the paralegal profession directly at a state level and requires certain education or experience standards before being allowed to use the term “paralegal”.

Washington and Utah limit the practice to only specific areas of law after meeting certain education or experience qualifications.

The professional standards are usually established by employers.

Earning a certificate, although not mandatory, may help you find a job in the field.

This proves to your potential employer that you have met certain qualification requirements specified by the non-governmental agency or association that grants this recognition.

One such certification is the Certified Paralegal® certification, sponsored by the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.

The association also offers specialty exams.

Another credential available for workers in this field is the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination (PACE®) offered by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA™).

Experience and Advancement Opportunities

Employers usually prefer to hire applicants who have a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies or a bachelor’s in a different field and certification in paralegal studies, but an associate degree in the field can also help you find employment.

After earning a few years of experience, paralegals may be promoted to supervisory positions which usually means higher pay and additional responsibilities.

Some paralegals apply their legal knowledge, communication abilities, writing skills, and experience by expanding their roles into new career paths, such as mediators, arbitrators, real estate brokers, advocates, or ombudsmen.

Conclusion

Now that you have read the information we have compiled, it’s time to continue with your own research and decide if this profession is worth pursuing.

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