Paralegal

In this article: +

A paralegal (often synonymous with a “legal assistant”) assists and does legal work for a lawyer. They usually are assigned tasks to help the attorney (aka lawyer) complete necessary duties. These tasks vary depending on the type of paralegal but usually include:

Administrative work like maintaining and organizing files
Drafting documents
Conducting legal research, and more.

Paralegals usually work for law firms, government agencies, or legal departments within a corporation, but can be found in all types of organizations.¹

What Do Paralegals Do?

Some common responsibilities include:

Help lawyers during trials
Conduct research on laws, legal articles and regulations
Keep, organize and manage information in computer databases
Present information when necessary
Help lawyers by writing relevant reports
Investigate details or facts of a case
Draft correspondence and documents, such as mortgages and contracts
Get formal statements and affidavits that could be used as evidence in court ²

Paralegals play an important role in the delivery of legal services. While they often perform administrative tasks, paralegals often take on much of a lawyer’s workload, using their understanding of the legal system. This frees the lawyer to focus on providing legal services and saves clients money.³

What types of Paralegal Jobs are out there?

Legal Assistant

A legal assistant is another term for a paralegal. Legal assistants and paralegals both assist lawyers in trial preparation and research. However, “legal assistants” must earn certification as a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA.⁴

Legal Secretary

Legal secretaries provide administrative duties for attorneys and paralegals, focusing on day-to-day tasks such as answering phones, setting appointments, scheduling meetings, and monitoring other reminders. ⁵

Bankruptcy Paralegal

A bankruptcy paralegal walks a debtor (someone who owes money) through the bankruptcy process. Bankruptcy has many complex steps and it is the bankruptcy paralegal’s job to help the bankruptcy attorney/lawyer help their client(s) through this process.⁶

Corporate Paralegal

Corporate paralegals assist lawyers with the organization and planning of corporate transactions and business matters. These paralegals ensure that companies have all the necessary paperwork completed and filed and comply with all applicable federal and state laws. A paralegal specializing in corporate law must have a thorough understanding of mergers and acquisitions, investments, employment laws, contract law, banking, finance, and securities. ⁷

Criminal Law Paralegal

A criminal law paralegal supports the work of criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors. They will perform duties similar to that of other paralegals (filing paperwork, conducting research, interviewing witnesses and defendants, corresponding with clients, etc.). Their work, however, will specifically support the building of cases for or against accused criminals. Criminal law paralegals may also be known as criminal defense paralegals, criminal litigation paralegals, or simply criminal paralegals. ⁸

Immigration Paralegal

Immigration paralegals work for immigration attorneys, who specialize in helping clients navigate immigration laws to obtain visas, become naturalized citizens or legal residents, and solve other immigration-related issues. They work for law firms, corporations, or government agencies. Additionally, they typically assist attorneys in researching the facts of each case, writing reports and assist lawyers during trials.⁹

Litigation Paralegal

A litigation paralegal’s job begins with discovery and an investigation into the facts of a case. Paralegals may assist in deposing witnesses and collecting and cataloging facts in the case file. Pleadings, which the litigation paralegal may write and file, may also occur during this time as attorneys attempt to maneuver their clients into the most favorable positions. The paralegal will also be involved in pre-trial and trial by organizing exhibits and evidence, conducting research, and helping the attorney establish the case for the client, which may involve preparing witnesses, evaluating jurors, and acting as a liaison between all parties to the process. The litigation paralegal often assists with the settlement of the case and an appeal, if necessary, which includes organizing and analyzing data, communicating with the necessary parties, and acting as a liaison with court officials. ¹⁰

What types of skills are necessary to be a successful Paralegal?

Work well under pressure
Computer savvy
Very organized
Attention to detail
Personable/strong communication skills
Strong writing and editing abilities

What are some challenges of this career?

Lack of opportunities for advancement/promotion – most need to pursue a law degree to achieve career advancement
Not always respected and/or acknowledged – since paralegals cannot legally do many things that lawyers/attorneys do (like give legal advice, sign certain documents, etc.), so attorneys often get the credit for paralegal’s work.
Menial Tasks – responsible for a lot of the lawyer’s administrative duties and busywork.
Stressful – depending where you are a paralegal, hours can be long and work can be stressful and demanding. ¹¹

What are some benefits of this career?

Challenging Work – some like the excitement of working on interesting and challenging issues.
Helping Others – are paid to assist someone who needs yours/your law firm’s services.
Hours can be good – depending on where you work, hours can be pretty good (less than 50 hours a week).
Great for resume – especially if you wish to go to law school, having paralegal experience is a great way to boost your credentials.
Learn from established lawyers – as a Paralegal you get hands-on exposure to law work. ¹²

Typical Salary?

Senior/supervising paralegals (7+ years of experience)

Midsize law firms (35-75 attorneys): $72,250-$101,500 (2017)
Smaller law firms (10-35 attorneys): $70,500-$86,750 (2017)

Mid-level paralegals (4-6 years of experience)

Large law firms (75+ attorneys): $63,000-$78,750 (2017)
Midsize law firms (35-75 attorneys): $61,750-$76,500 (2017)

Entry-level paralegals (0-3 years of experience)

Large law firms (75+ attorneys): $46,250-$61,000 (2017)
Midsize law firms (35-75 attorneys): $44,500-$59,250 (2017)¹³

Should I become a Paralegal?

If you do not have a law degree but are interested in working in law and/or gaining more hands-on law experience, you should consider becoming a Paralegal. People often work as a paralegal to gain work exposure, learn a lot about certain areas of law, and go on to further their career through law school.

But, if you do not want to pursue law school and become an attorney, you can have a very stable and often well-paid career as a Paralegal. Paralegals can be found in many types of organizations but most commonly: government agencies, law firms, and legal departments at a corporation.

Relevant Forum Discussions

Want to further discuss Paralegal Careers?

Think we are missing important information? Had trouble understanding some sections of this page? Anything else you are still wondering about? Please let us know on the feedback page!