Get Ready to Become a Paralegal

Get Ready to Become a Paralegal

There are many reasons why a paralegal career is an excellent choice. A paralegal job provides an opportunity to work in the legal field without spending several years in law school. If you thought paralegals only worked in law offices, think again. The skills you learn in paralegal training are transferable to other business environments. With the right skills, you would be able to work in a number of industries, including law firms, financial offices, law libraries, and state, local and federal governments.

Here are 5 great things about being a paralegal:

1. Rise in Pay
Paralegal compensation has risen steadily in the past decade, despite a bump in the road in the depths of the 2009-2010 recession. As paralegals perform a broader and more complex range of tasks (paralegals even represent clients in court in certain countries and administrative tribunals), paralegal earnings continue to rise. The average paralegal salary hovers at around $50,000 per year but paralegals often make more through bonuses. Overtime hours can also add significant cash to a paralegal's paycheck.

2. Explosive Employment Outlook
The paralegal field is one of the fastest-growing professions on the globe. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the employment of paralegals and legal assistants to grow 28 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. Among the factors driving this growth is client demand for more affordable and more efficient delivery of legal services. Since hourly rates charged by attorneys are typically double or triple the rates of paralegals for the same task, law firm economics mandates the increased use of paralegals to minimize costs. As a result, a paralegal career is one of the hottest non-lawyer jobs in the legal industry.


3. Easy Career Entry
Unlike lawyers who must complete seven years of formal education and pass the bar exam to practice law, you can become a paralegal in as little as a few months of study.

4. Intellectual Challenge
Paralegal work is intellectually challenging and involves a range of high-level skills. The most successful paralegals are problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. Paralegals must become subject matter experts in their specialty area and master legal procedure, research, drafting and other skills. They must stay on top of ever-changing laws and new legal trends and developments while interfacing with attorneys, opposing counsel, vendors, staff members, clients and others. The work is varied and each day brings new challenges.

5. Rising Prestige
As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is rising. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they are assuming management roles in corporations, leadership roles in law firms and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal secretary to become respected members of the legal team.

Ready to Become a Paralegal?
So what do you think? Does a paralegal career sound like it’s for you? If you want to get started on the path to success as a paralegal, the New American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) can help. We go beyond teaching you about becoming a paralegal, we teach you how to be your own boss with our Small Business Boot Camp: Start Your  Own  Virtual Paralegal Business.

Come and learn about our FREE Paralegal Program on Wednesday, July 6, 2017 at 6pm. We are located at 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn.Visit www.freeparalegal.org to register or call  us at 718-722-9217.