Have You Ever Heard of Paralegals?
A paralegal, sometimes called a legal assistant, is a person who performs important legal work that is usually, but not always, performed by a lawyer. Paralegals are employed in private law firms, banks, corporations, insurance agencies, legal clinics, courts, government agencies, accounting and engineering firms, title companies, construction companies, and legal aid offices—in fact, almost everywhere law-related work is performed!
The specific tasks of paralegals can vary greatly, depending upon the area of practice and level of experience and education. Therefore, the range of things you could do as a paralegal is very diverse. The average salary of paralegals is $41,742. Employers of the majority of paralegals also provide annual bonuses, as well as life and health insurance benefits and the paralegal’s professional dues.
Most paralegals have a bachelor’s degree as well as education through paralegal programs offered at colleges or universities. Paralegal education programs offer degrees and/or certificates.
To become a paralegal, you will need very strong communication and writing skills, so work hard in English and social studies. You also need to take all of the other courses required for the University or College of your choice, so find out early what you need for post-secondary to make sure that you can pursue your goals. You can also look at www.paralegals.org for more suggestions about this exciting career.