As defined by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, paralegal is a person qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work. [1]
Education. It is not necessary to have a degree to work as a legal assistant or legal secretary. After years of experience it is possible to advance to a Paralegal position but it would be very difficult to get hired into this type of position without either a degree or years of experience. [5] The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) reports that currently 25% of all Paralegals have an Associate’s degree, 50% hold a Bachelor’s degree and almost 10% have a Master’s degree or J.D. (law) degree. About 85% have received Paralegal training through a certification program. Paralegals can also get certified as a CP (Certified Paralegal) or CLA (Certified Legal Assistant) by taking the state Certified Paralegal Exam and meeting additional education and experience requirements. [2]
Projected Job Growth. The job market for Paralegals is currently stable and is on an upward motion with a projected growth rate of 22% through the year 2016. Paralegals are ranked as one of the 10 fastest growing careers for the 21st century. [3] The average salary for an experienced Paralegal is around 40,000 in the private sector but could be around 50,000 if you work for the federal government. The salary for entry level or unexperienced employees in this field usually s...
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...different types of experience. The Paralegal field has a great outlook with a 22% growth increase predicted it makes for a solid choice for anyone interested in the legal field.
Works Cited
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm [1]
Institute for Career R. Career As A Paralegal : Legal Assistant [e-book]. [Chicago, Ill.]: Institute for Career Research; 2010. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 10, 2014. [2]
Gillam S. Law And Justice [e-book]. New York, NY: Ferguson; 2010. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 10, 2014. [3]
Fins A. Opportunities In Paralegal Careers [e-book]. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2005. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 10, 2014. [4]
http://paralegaltoday.com/issue_archive/features/feature1_jf04.htm [5]
Hatch, Scott A., Hatch, Lisa Zimmer. Paralegal Career For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2006. Print.
Peter Paralegal is employed by Honest Law Firm and has been instructed by his supervising attorney to prepare and conduct initial interviews with two potential clients to see if a conflict of interest is present. Big Box and Value Mart are competitors and are requesting representation by Honest Law Firm on matters that are unrelated to one another. Peter Paralegal was also asked to perform tasks related to the cases such as; prepare questions and conduct initial interviews, explain legal fees arrangements, establish the attorney-client relations, draft initial pleadings and responses, interview witnesses, draft and sign initial case evaluation letters.
Paralegals have become an essential part of today's legal system, and as the profession becomes one of the leading and fastest growing occupations in the U.S. economy; these individuals perform delegated tasks under the supervision of attorneys. Education has played an important part on this matter; it has facilitated this development by allowing lawyers to use these skills professionals as agents to delegate specific tasks such as legal research, gathering of information and the drafting of specific legal documents under the supervision and final approval of their principals. This has been very significant because now; we can enjoy a speedy process in a cumbersome legal system. From en economic standpoint, it has also been beneficial by decreasing the substantial amount of the legal cost a firm could incur if only lawyers were allowed to perform this kind work.
A Florida Registered Paralegal is a person who is qualified and has gone through training, education and work experience to work under the supervision of a lawyer. He or she is there to help the attorney with drafting documents, legal research, legal investigations, contacting clients, and interviewing clients. The bill says that the requirements of the bill are “the person has to have prescribed education and experience, and have the prescribed certifications”. In order for a person to be eligible to be a Florida Registered Paralegal they have to have met one of the following education and work experience. They have to have a bachelor’s degree in paralegal plus a minimum of one year of paralegal work experience or a person can have an associate degree plus a minimum of two years of paralegal experience. There has been a lot debate over the bill some people think the bill is helping the paralegal while others think it’s just a
under this category. I would love to work in this area oflaw. As a paralegal I would like to work on the defense side because it can be a very rewarding experience. Although a lot of work from paralegals is required to get a case ready for trial, I think that it could be a very exhilarating experience.
The occupations that I have chosen to analyze using the three elements for this assignment are paraprofessional, what I am currently, and a teacher, what I am going to college to become. Teachers and paraprofessionals work side by side, collaborate, plan, and share many of the same experiences. However, paraprofessionals are often not treated as equals and has created some ethical judgement regarding treatment of the paraprofessionals from other teachers and administrators in the business of education. I want to use this assignment as an opportunity to distinguish the true professional using the elements designed for this course.
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The profession of a physical therapist assistant is a demanding and rewarding career. Physical therapist assistants work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Physical therapist assistants have the pleasure of helping patients regain movement and manage pain caused by injuries, illnesses or surgeries. There are a vast array of subjects to study on the road to become a physical therapist assistant. Palliative care, pediatric care and geriatric care, are endearing specialty areas for the physical therapist assistant.
A professional lawyer has been known to win legal cases. A criminal defense lawyer with a great
Definition: Legal assistants, also known as paralegals, are a distinguishable group of persons who assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services. Through formal education, training and experience, legal assistants have knowledge and expertise regarding the legal system and substantive and procedural law which qualify them to do work of a legal nature under the supervision of an attorney. (www.NALA.org)
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To pursue Career as Lawyer, the person has to be well determined in mind. The formal qualifications required for the same are: