programs also offer an internship which can give you important practical experience and is an asset on your resume. Paralegals must be able to document and present their findings and opinions to their supervising attorney. They need to understand legal terminology and have good research and investigative skills. Familiarity with computers in legal research and litigation support also is important. Paralegals should stay informed of new develop- ments in the laws that affect their area of practice. Continuing legal education seminars are helpful. Paralegals are usually given more responsibilities and less
supervision as they gain work experience. Advancement opportuni- ties also include promotion to supervisory, managerial and other law-related positions within the firm or corporate legal department.
There will be demand for paralegals who specialize in areas such as real estate, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, and product liability. Community legal service programs, which provide assis- tance to the poor, elderly, minorities, and middle-income families, will employ additional paralegals to minimize expenses and serve the most people. Job opportunities also are expected in Federal, State, and local government agencies, consumer organizations, and the courts. Earnings of paralegals and legal assistants vary greatly. Salaries depend on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer, and the geographic location of the job. In general, parale- gals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms or in less populated regions. In May 2006, full-time wage-and-salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $43,040. The middle 50 percent earned between $33,920 and $54,690. The top 10 percent earned more than $67,540, and the bottom 10 percent earned less than $27,450. Median annual earn- ings in the industries employing the largest numbers of paralegals were:
Federal Government
Management of companies and enterprises Local government Legal services
State government
Employment Private law firms employed 7 out of 10 paralegals and legal assistants; most of the remainder worked for corporate legal depart- ments and various levels of government. Within the Federal Government, the U.S. Department of Justice is the largest employ- er, 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, contract- ing their services to attorneys or corporate legal departments. Rapid employment growth is projected, but competition for
jobs is expected to continue.
Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 22 percent between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employers are trying to reduce costs and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services by hiring paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers. Paralegals are performing a wider variety of duties, making them more useful to businesses.
Demand for paralegals also is expected to grow as an expand- ing population increasingly requires legal services, especially in areas such as intellectual property, health care, international law, elder issues, criminal law, and environmental law. The growth of prepaid legal plans also should contribute to the demand for legal services. Private law firms will continue to be the largest employers of paralegals, but a growing array of other organizations, such as cor- porate legal departments, insurance companies, real estate and title insurance firms, and banks also hire paralegals. Corporations in par- ticular are expected to increase their in-house legal departments to cut costs. In part because of the range of tasks they can perform, paralegals are also increasingly employed in small and medium-size establishments of all types.
$56,080 $52,220 $42,170 $41,460 $38,020
In addition to earning a salary, many paralegals receive bonus- es, in part, to compensate them for sometimes having to work long hours. Paralegals also receive vacation, paid sick leave, a 401 sav- ings plan, life insurance, personal paid time off, dental insurance, and reimbursement for continuing legal education.
General information on a career as a paralegal can be obtained from:
Standing Committee on Paralegals, American Bar Association,
www.abanet.org/legalservices/paralegals
For information on the Certified Legal Assistant exam, schools that offer training programs in a specific State, and standards and guide- lines for paralegals, contact:
National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.,
www.nala.org
Information on the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam, parale- gal careers, paralegal training programs, job postings, and local associations is available from:
National Federation of Paralegal Associations,
www.paralegals.org
Information on paralegal training programs, including the pamphlet How to Choose a Paralegal Education Program, may be obtained from: American Association for Paralegal Education,
www.aafpe.org
Information on paralegal careers, certification, and job postings is available from:
American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc.,
www.aapipara.org
For information on the Professional Paralegal exam, schools that offer training programs in a specific State, and standards and guide- lines for paralegals, contact:
www.nals.org
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