Being a paralegal is a very skilled an interesting career, allow me to give you a little more information about paralegals. First of all most people assume a paralegal is another secretary who works in a law office. This is a huge misconception paralegals face each day. A paralegal is also known as a legal assistant, because they assist attorneys and work hand in hand with them. A paralegal is kind of like a nurse in the law field. A nurse can assist a doctor, provide incite as to what the problem may be, and prepare for medical procedures. However a nurse can not write prescriptions, give medical advice, or practice medicine. A paralegal can assist a lawyer, provide incite, and prepare for legal proceedings. However a paralegal can not give legal advice or practice law. According to the National Association of Legal Assistants
“…Paralegals, are a distinguishable group of persons who assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services. Through formal education, training and experience, legal assistants have knowledge and expertise regarding the legal system and substantive and procedural law which qualify them to do work of a legal nature under the supervision of an attorney.”
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Although no degree is required to be a paralegal most have some type of degree or certification. However paralegals who work in private practices may be asked to work longer hours or weekends in order to meet curtail deadlines. This usually consists of 60-70 semester units of study, about half are paralegal courses and half are general education. Few paralegals go on to obtain a Master’s Degree however a few colleges and universities offer such a program. This consists of about 120-130 semester units of study and about 30-60 of them are paralegal based courses.
“Paralegals and legal assistant held about 200,000 jobs in 2002” (www.
Paralegals come from all different educational backgrounds. According the National Association of Legal assistants “ The legal assistant profession is projected to grow 33% during the first ten years of 2000…. Many paralegals in private practices are compensated with bonuses or extra vacation time. Paralegals are very cost effective for lawyers, because they are not paid as much as an attorney. After doing legal research a paralegal will have to put his or her hard work into play by drafting legal documents. They are also employed by private practice attorneys, also corporations with a legal department and other places that perform legal work overseen by an attorney. Paralegals are used throughout the court system to assist public defenders and judges. They are also responsible for investigation of facts and doing legal research for cases.
Approximate Word count =
1193
Approximate Pages =
5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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