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Paralegal Career
Learn about what it means to be a paralegal, what you'll experience on the job, required education and training, and more.
Get Qualified For a Paralegal Career with an Online Paralgal Degree:
Industry
Legal
Career Description
Assist lawyers by researching legal precedent, investigating facts, or preparing legal documents. Paralegals also conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.
Education
Other Job Titles for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Tax Preparers
- Lawyers
- Law Clerks
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- Court Clerks
- Municipal Clerks
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
- Legal Secretaries
Common Paralegal Work Tasks
- Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, maintain document file, and file pleadings with court clerk.
- Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.
- Investigate facts and law of cases to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- Call upon witnesses to testify at hearing.
- Direct and coordinate law office activity, including delivery of subpoenas.
- Arbitrate disputes between parties and assist in real estate closing process.
- Keep and monitor legal volumes to ensure that law library is up-to-date.
- Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning.
- Present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation.
- Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
- Prepare and draft legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
- Prepare legal briefs and opinions, and file appeals in state and federal courts of appeal.
- Negotiate settlements of civil disputes.
- Confer with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas of legal issue to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings.
- Search for and examine public and other legal records to write opinions or establish ownership.
- Supervise legal assistants.
- Perform administrative and management functions related to the practice of law.
- Act as agent, trustee, guardian, or executor for businesses or individuals.
- Probate wills and represent and advise executors and administrators of estates.
- Help develop federal and state programs, draft and interpret laws and legislation, and establish enforcement procedures.
- Work in environmental law, representing public interest groups, waste disposal companies, or construction firms in their dealings with state and federal agencies.
Projected Employment Growth
- Projected growth (2006-2016): 22.24%
- Projected need (2006-2016): 52,867
- Employment (2006): 237,703
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