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Legal and Paralegal Career Highlights
What is a Paralegals or Legal Assistant ?
What are legal assistants and paralegals?
If you like research or are interested in the legal system, a career in a well-paying field as a legal assistant or paralegal could be an excellent choice for you. Paralegals do all the tasks a lawyer does, except practicing law. They present cases in court, give legal advice, and set legal fees.
What tasks do legal assistants and paralegals perform?
Legal assistants and paralegals’ responsibilities differ depending on the type of company that they work for. Most in this field work for corporate legal departments, law firms, and government organizations. On a company level, areas of specialties and focus fall under a wide variety of topics.
Responsibilities of a legal assistant or paralegal include:
- Drafting legal documents such as contracts, mortgages, and instruments of trust
- Assisting lawyers in preparing for corporate meetings, trials, or hearings
- Researching case law
- Investigation and fact checking
- Preparing and organizing case research, legal documents and notes
- Writing case summaries
Legal and Paralegal Salary Range
$ 41,170 - Annual Legal and Paralegal Degree Salary
$ 29,300 - Average U.S. Salary
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( 2005 )
Legal and Paralegal Job Outlook
Employment for legal assistants and paralegals is anticipated to grow much more quickly than average over the next decade. Law firms are hiring more legal assistants and paralegals to free up time for lawyers, and numerous companies are forming internal legal departments to cut costs.
Average Salary
The median annual salary of a legal assistant or paralegal in 2005 was $41,170 including bonuses. Since these positions are highly competitive and in high demand, salaries are expected to increase annually. Salaries generally depend on the level of experience and education possessed by the paralegal. The size and type of employer, as well as job location, also influence the salary of a legal assistant and paralegal.
