Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
About 7 out of 10 paralegals and legal assistants work for law firms; others work for corporate legal departments and government agencies. Most entrants have an associates degree in paralegal studies, or a bachelors degree coupled with a certificate in paralegal studies. Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, as employers try to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks formerly carried out by lawyers. Competition for jobs should continue; experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best employment opportunities.
On average, Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn $ 43,040 per year.
Job Opportunities for Paralegals and Legal Assistants are expected to:
Increase faster than average.
While lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they often delegate many of their tasks to paralegals. In fact, paralegalsalso called legal assistantsare continuing to assume a growing range of tasks in legal offices and perform many of the same tasks as lawyers. Nevertheless, they are explicitly prohibited from carrying out duties considered to be the practice of law, such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice, and presenting cases in court.
There are several ways to become a paralegal. The most common is through a community college paralegal program that leads to an associate degree. Another common method of entry, mainly for those who already have a college degree, is earning a certificate in paralegal studies.
Paralegals and legal assistants held about 238,000 jobs in 2006. Private law firms employed 7 out of 10 paralegals and legal assistants; most of the remainder worked for corporate legal departments and various levels of government. Within the Federal Government, the U.S. Department of Justice is the largest employer, followed by the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A small number of paralegals own their own businesses and work as freelance legal assistants, contracting their services to attorneys or corporate legal departments.
