What are the Benefits of Paralegal Certification

by Sara Jenkins


When you see persons assisting lawyers or attorneys within bounds of legal work, these might be the legal assistants or more commonly called as paralegals. For their superior lawyer or attorney's benefit, paralegals conduct research (library and in the field). Researches often include conduction of interviews to people who may be relevant subject to the case. After enough data has collected, these findings were immediately composed into clearer version of legal documentation and will be presented to the lawyer with the addition of analyses, and estimation of the finding's relevance to the case. Paralegal proficiency is often enhanced by the assistant's exposure and experience with the legal industry. As paralegal profession has no other academic requirements, a host of paralegal education and paralegal programs are being offered in the industry.

A diverse path has taken these paralegal professionals into their careers. These paths are the paralegal certification programs, which may be offered through varying levels of education (paralegal two-year associate programs, four-year bachelor's degree programs). Paralegal certificates can also be obtained through completion of paralegal basic certification programs (some of basic paralegal certification program can be completed in just a matter of months. These mentioned paralegal program certifications are basically the stepping-stone to pursue more advanced career in paralegal profession. In a paralegal class, students will have many opportunities to develop their basic know-how in the paralegal skills.

Paralegal certifications are also offered in the industry to hone the legal assistant's expertise in their own field. As time ages, all kinds of law firms have increased their clienteles seeking their aid in response to their respective cases. As law firm's clients have grown into a surprising large number, lawyers and attorneys cannot handle alone their responsibilities. And so, paralegal assistants are now conveyed with more comprehensive and complicated tasks. Whereas before, certain task of lawyers are handled by the lawyers themselves but now may be considered as entirely different. With the paralegal certification programs waiting for the students to take advantage of paralegal courses it can offer, duties of the lawyers are narrowed down because these are being relayed to the paralegals.

If their paralegals needed to add more specific skills and expertise, they can secure application from different paralegal schools that offer an array of paralegal studies. Paralegal education has become a necessity for the past years that every paralegal school has remedied the growing demands of paralegal expertise by getting the paralegal program online. With advantage over online paralegal schools, application and conduction of the classes will make it very accessible and convenient to both parties. Online paralegal courses are an answer to the increasing demands of the lawyers/attorneys over their legal assistants. Online paralegal education is designed specially for those who can't easily quit their job but wants to pursue paralegal trainings or wants to get hold of another paralegal certificate. Attending online paralegal classes will afford the applicants to choose their own most convenient time.

Although paralegal assistants do not handle certain legal tasks like that of the lawyers, they do still need to augment their craft in legal community. Paralegal certification can make it possible for paralegal assistants to be flexible and proficient in the world of legal proceedings and trial courts.

About the Author
Online entrepreneur Sara Jenkins, is dedicated to helping others and their needs to succeed in life by offering free tips everyday. To learn more about her free tips program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE bonus how-to books and resources, visit www.TipsEveryDay.com

Paralegals - The World Is Thy Oyster

by Shelby Ryan

In spite of ever increasing difficult economic times, there are a few areas of increasing job opportunities. These include paralegals and legal assistants.

Paralegals and legal assistants are actually the individuals who help out the lawyers with much of their easier, "less legal" daily tasks, which leave lawyers more time to work on the "bigger" work. In spite of their ability to carry out various tasks that was once thought to be exclusively for lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants are still explicitly prohibited from carrying out the actual tasks that lawyers do such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice and presenting cases to the court. Legal assistants may be bright but lawyers still have the last say on things and are still considered the authority on legal matters.

Paralegals are now considered to be an increasingly important component in most law offices today and as their value has increased so has competition for their services. As more and more law offices are using paralegals there has been a parallel rise in the skill level and expectations of paralegals.

In the past, most paralegals were trained on the job but as more and more people recognize the great career opportunity that has unfolded before them a whole new paralegal educational training field has been developed.

This has been a nature progression in the evolution of the field. As the demand has grown so has the expectations, as I indicated a little earlier and many firms are no longer interested in hiring a wannabe paralegal but want a fully trained, highly competent paralegal from the first day. As a result, most law firms will now only hire paralegal applicants who have postsecondary paralegal education or university graduates with a certain number of paralegal credits.

Not only are paralegals in great demand within law firms but they're also being pursued by corporate legal departments and various government offices that specialize in different areas of the law.

Another key aspect of a typical paralegals job description includes assisting the lawyers in preparing their cases. This includes: closings, trials, hearings and in some instances high level corporate meetings. A little known fact about paralegals is that they are often the ones given the task of searching for relevant judicial decisions, legal articles as well as any other materials that may be deemed important to the case.

It's extremely important that paralegals understand all the relevant facts about the cases they are assigned to investigate and they are taught to never dismiss any bit of information as irrelevant because it may turn out to be the key bit of information needed to win a case. Another important skill needed to be a good paralegal is a keen eye for detail and the ability to multi-task. Paralegals are given a wide range of duties and they need to be able to move from one task to another when the need arises.

Paralegals are also required, in many offices, to analyze and organize all the research data they've put together into a well written, informative and useful report that their supervising lawyer can reference to help them build their cases.

If you have been thinking about a career in law, starting out as a paralegal or a legal assistant can be a great stepping stone and learning opportunity before taking the next step and a becoming lawyer or even if your aspirations are simply to become and stay a paralegal it's still an exciting career choice. With all the possibilities a paralegal career offers today, the allure is becoming hard to resist for many.

If the allure of a paralegal career is calling you, check out the links below.

About the Author:
Visit paralegal or online paralegal degree or paralegal degree for more information on a Paralegal Career.

Paralegals - Top Organizations You Need To Know

by Scott Knutson

The career field of paralegals began developing in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s as lawyers began hiring the assistants to help them with paper work, case investigation and general duties. As more attorneys began hiring legal assistance, the American Bar Association formed the Standing Committee on Legal Assistance to help set the standard in the paralegal - attorney relationship, employment guidelines and other duties associated with the paralegal, or legal assistant. That committee was formed in the late 1960s and today is made up of both attorneys and professional paralegals. The American Bar Association offers a certification program to institutions that give courses in paralegal instruction which gives the bar association the opportunity to set standards in the education of legal assistants.

There are several major national professional organizations for paralegals in the United States, in addition to their representation in the American Bar Association. Some of those organizations have helped form the career field of the paralegal, or legal assistant.

Two professional organizations, the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), together represent more than 30,000 paralegals across the U.S. The organizations, while both working to serve the paralegal profession, have been competitive while determining the language that helps shape the profession. The NFPA prefers usage of the word paralegal while NALA prefers the term legal assistant.

The American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) is an organization of institutions and teachers of paralegal education programs. The organization strives for consistent paralegal education standards.

A new organization for paralegals began in 2003 and quickly began setting standards in the legal assistant field. The American Alliance of Paralegals serves individuals. Members in the American Alliance of Paralegals are required to meet certain educational or work experience guidelines in order to be a voting member. The organization was the first national organization for paralegals to become involved in setting minimum educational standards and guidelines.

If you are a paralegal hoping to gain membership in a national professional organization, do some research to see what type of associations are typical to your area. The national organizations will likely have state and regional groups meeting in your area, or a nearby area. Talk to other paralegals in your area to see if they have professional membership in one of these organizations. Ask about benefits and professional development training the organizations offer.

If you are just entering a career as a paralegal or just beginning training for such a career, see if a professional membership can help you in your career plans. Perhaps an organization that offers various networking or job notice work boards would be of benefit to someone seeking to enter the field. Membership could be like having an insider pulling for you. Also, if you are a student planning to enter the paralegal field, a national organization might be able to hook you up with scholarship or other financial award information to help you complete your training. Contact all the paralegal organizations you can find to see if they have special information that might help you along your path to your legal career.

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About the Author:
Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Paralegal | Online Paralegal Degree | Paralegal Schools

Legal Assistants, Paralegals And Lawyers - What's The Difference?

by Kevin Erickson

If you've ever dreamed of one day becoming a lawyer but you've been hesitant to take the plunge, a viable alternative would be a legal assistant or paralegal. Both are two peas in a pod and thus either one is probably as close as you can get to becoming a lawyer, without actually being a lawyer.

In addition, employment in this field is projected to grow much faster than average. The current trend of employers trying to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform duties formerly carried out by lawyers is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. As a result, employment opportunities are projected to grow much faster than average for the next 10 years or so.
From doing extensive research on various cases to helping create legal drafts and filing every important legal document, interested individuals can actually learn all that even in the comfort of their own homes through online paralegal training.

Online Training
From doing extensive research on various cases to helping create legal drafts and filing every important legal document, interested individuals can actually learn all that even in the comfort of their own homes through online paralegal training.

This is where you'll actually get the basic knowledge that you'll need in order to become a full-pledged legal assistant. However, be advised that law firms as well as other legal institutions are looking for highly skilled legal assistants who can outwit others with their keen sense of critical thinking.

Many online legal assistant and paralegal training programs will condense 27 subject units into 10 with 6 and 12-month certificate programs being offered. How you want to approach the training is really up to you and how the different options being offered best fit in your budget, schedule and how quickly you can master the subject matter.

Online paralegal training clearly has its' perks with the obvious one being convenience.

One must always keep in mind that even though the paralegals or legal assistants' primary function, whether working for a private law firm or government agency, is to assist the lawyers with their case loads. Duties include extensive case research and organizing all types of files, drafting contracts for clients, mortgages, drafting of separation agreements, tax returns, planning estates as well as other important legal duties.

However, there are actually some paralegals that do more than that. At times, they are also asked to organize and coordinate the schedules and activities of other employees in the law office, perhaps even to track law office financial records. Of course, this is clearly employer dependent and on the skill set each legal assistant brings to the table. On the other hand, it's always best to be prepared for such tasks, which is why you never place limits on yourself and why you should always be looking for ways to obtain additional training. In other words, even after you earn a 6 or 12-month certificate online keep going.

A few simple ways to enhance your knowledge is by reading various law books as well as absorbing the legal environment by watching the news and keeping abreast of current events. One should always strive to keep themselves up to snuff with whatever is happening in the news and try to challenge yourself even further by coming up with arguments and other legal discussions concerning whichever cases you've been assigned to handle.

Online training boasts of some of the best minds in the legal profession. They can offer their expertise in creating drafts for whichever situation that they may have a use for it and basically just give legal assistant hopefuls the basic knowledge behind law.

Due to the current and projected abundance of work opportunities is one of the primary reasons why there's been a literal mushrooming of online paralegal training sites popping up. Many of the traditional brick and mortar training schools and facilities are now offering online training.

Browse through all sorts of online paralegal training sites, compare training fees as well as how extensive their online paralegal training programs are. You'll make a wise chose if you put the same effort into finding the right source to train you and as plan on putting into the learning process once you choose who to receive your training from.

A great place to research and find answers to everything "paralegal" is Total Paralegal. Simply click the Online Paralegal Training link in the resource box below.

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About the Author:
Kevin Erickson is an entrepreneur and writer. For other articles he's written visit: Online Paralegal Training | Travel Nursing | Medical Transcription

Legal Assistants And Paralegals - The Future Is Bright

by Kevin Erickson

One of most common ways to become a legal assistant or paralegal is through a community college program that leads to an associate's degree. Another common route; primarily for those who already have a college degree, is through a program that leads to a certification in paralegal studies.

Many legal assistants and paralegals have associate degrees in paralegal studies or a bachelor's degree paired with a certificate in paralegal studies. Currently, a small number of schools offer bachelors' or masters' degrees in paralegal studies. A few employers train paralegals on the job, hiring college graduates with no legal experience or promoting experienced legal secretaries. Others have gained experience in a technical field useful to law firms, like tax preparation for tax and estate planning, criminal justice, nursing or health administration for personal injury practice.

With 250+ paralegal programs approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and an estimated 1,000 colleges and universities, law schools and proprietary schools offering formal paralegal training programs - the field is highly represented. Although many programs don't require ABA approval, graduating from an ABA-approved program can enhance one's employment opportunities - it's a credibility thing for some employers.

Program admission requirements vary greatly - from a few college credits or courses to a bachelor's degree for others, to high school graduates, those with legal experience, passing a standardized test, to simply having a favorable personal interview.

Many legal assistant and paralegal programs include 2-year associate degree programs, 4-year bachelor degree programs and certificate programs that can take as little as a few months to complete. Most certificate programs provide intensive and specialized paralegal training for individuals who already hold college degrees. On the other hand, associate and bachelor degree programs usually combine paralegal training with courses in other academic subjects.

Obviously, the quality of paralegal training programs can vary with the higher quality programs usually including job placement services.

Courses range from introducing students to the legal applications of computers, including how to perform legal research on the Internet to more and more paralegal training programs offering internships to assist students in gaining practical experience by working for several months in the real world. Internships could be with a private law firm, the office of a public defender or attorney general, a bank, a corporate legal department, a legal aid organization or a government agency. Clearly, the experience gained is an asset when one is seeking a job after graduation and for many can lead to a job with the company they interned with.

Most employers don't require certification but earning a voluntary certificate from a professional society does have its advantages when it comes to finding a job. The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) has established standards for certification that requires various combinations of education and experience. Paralegals who meet their standards are eligible to take a 2-day examination, offered three times a year at one of several regional testing centers. Those who pass can then use the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) designation. NALA also offers an advanced paralegal certification for those who want to specialize in specific areas of the law.

The Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam offers professional recognition to legal assistants and paralegals that have earned a bachelor's degree and have at least 2 years of experience. Once they pass this test they can use the Registered Paralegal (RP) designation.

Legal assistants and paralegals must have the ability to document and present their findings and opinions to their supervising attorneys. They also need to understand legal terminology, have good research and investigative skills and be able to do legal research using a computer and the internet. They also need to stay abreast of new developments in the laws that affect their area of expertise. The most common way many legal assistants and paralegals expand their knowledge is by participating in continuing legal education seminars.

Because legal assistants and paralegals deal with the public on an ongoing basis they need to be "shining examples" of ethical standards for the legal profession. The National Association of Legal Assistants, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations and a few States have established ethical guidelines for them to follow.

Employment Outlook
Legal assistants and paralegals held about 224,000 jobs in 2004 with about 70% being employed by private law firms; 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.

As a whole, employment in this field is projected to grow much faster than average. The current trend of employers trying to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform duties formerly carried out by lawyers is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. As a result, employment opportunities are projected to grow much faster than average for the next 10 years or so.

As in all fields, compensation varies greatly due to the high number of variables but in general, salaries depend on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer and the geographic location of the job. As a whole, legal assistants and paralegals 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 addition to salary, many also receive bonuses. In mid 2004, the average salary for all legal assistants or paralegal was a tad over $39,000 per year.

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About the Author:
Kevin Erickson is an entrepreneur and writer. For other articles he's written visit: Paralegal Schools | Travel Nursing | Medical Transcription

Legal Assistants And Paralegals - A Closer Look

by Kevin Erickson

One of the most important tasks legal assistants and paralegals perform is to assist lawyers as they prepare for corporate meetings, closings, trials and hearings. Although the lawyers take ownership for the legal work, they will often delegate many tasks to legal assistants and paralegals. As a result, they continue to take on a growing range of tasks inside the nation's legal offices and perform many of tasks traditional done by lawyers.

On the other hand, they are still strictly prohibited from performing any duty that is considered to be the "practice of law" - such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice, and presenting cases in court. Legal Assistants and paralegals also do much of leg work like verifying and looking into the facts of cases to ensure that all points are thoroughly covered. They also identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases.

After they analyze and organize the information, paralegals may prepare written reports that attorneys use in determining how cases should be handled. Should the decision be made to file a lawsuit, a paralegal may then be given the responsibility to help prepare the legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits and assist the attorneys during trial. Paralegals also organize and track files of thee all important case documents and make them available and easily accessible to the attorneys.

In addition to preparatory work, legal assistants and paralegals also perform a number of other vital functions. For example, they help draft contracts, mortgages, separation agreements and instruments of trust. In addition, may assist in preparing tax returns or estate planning. Some may even be given the responsibility to coordinate the activities of other law office employees and maintain financial office records. Of course, additional tasks differ, depending on the employer.

Legal Assistants and paralegals are found in all types of organizations, but most are employed by law firms (about 70%), corporate legal departments and various government offices make up most of the remaining 30%. In these organizations, they can work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate.

As the law has become more complex, legal assistants and paralegals have responded, like many professions, by becoming more specialized. And within specialties, functions are often broken down even further so that legal assistants and paralegals may deal with a specific area. For example, legal assistants and paralegals specializing in labor law may concentrate exclusively on employee benefits.

The duties of legal assistants and paralegals also differ widely with the type of organization in which they are employed. Those who work for corporations often assist attorneys with employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock-option plans and employee benefit plans. They may also help prepare and file annual financial reports, maintain corporate minutes' record resolutions and prepare forms to secure loans for the corporation.

Legal Assistants and paralegals often monitor and review government regulations to ensure that the corporation is aware of any new requirements and to ensure they are operating within the law. In addition, an ever increasing number of experienced paralegals are taking on additional supervisory responsibilities like monitoring team projects and serving as a communications link between the team and the corporation.

The duties of legal assistants and paralegals, working in the public sector varies between agencies. However, as a general rule, they analyze legal material for internal use, maintain reference files, conduct research for attorneys and collect and analyze evidence for agency hearings. They may prepare informative or explanatory material on laws, agency regulations, and agency policy for general use by the agency and the public. Legal Assistants and paralegals employed in community legal-service projects help the poor, the aged and those in need of legal assistance by filing forms, conducting research, preparing documents and when authorized by law, representing clients at administrative hearings.

Legal Assistants and paralegals in small to medium-sized law firms usually perform a variety of duties that require a general knowledge of the law. For example, they may research judicial decisions on improper police arrests or help prepare a mortgage contract. On the other hand, those employed by larger law firms, government agencies or corporations are more likely to specialize in one aspect of the law.

Being computer literate has also become an essential skill of legal Assistants and paralegals. Using the internet to search legal literature and extracting vital information stored in computer databases and on CD-ROM is also an important skill set. In litigation involving many supporting documents, paralegals usually use computer databases to retrieve, organize and index various materials. Imaging software allows paralegals to scan documents directly into a database, while billing programs help them track hours billed to clients. Various software packages are also used to perform tax computations and explore different scenarios of various tax strategies for clients.

As you can see becoming a Legal Assistants and paralegals profession is an exciting and ever-demanding field that requires a wide range of skills and knowledge. If you're looking for a career, not just a job and you have the willingness to push yourself then this field is ripe for the picking.

About the Author:
Kevin Erickson is an entrepreneur and writer. For other articles he's written visit: Legal Assistant | Travel Nursing | Medical Transcription

Choosing the Right Paralegal Courses

Paralegals typically have a bachelor’s degree to help them professionally assist lawyers or corporations and government agencies dealing with the law. Paralegals help lawyers navigate the large amounts of paperwork generated in legal proceedings by indexing, photocopying, and filing.

Paralegals also may hold hearings or interview witnesses. A job as a paralegal may help a recent college graduate get into law school, it may help a professional make connections and gain experience to enter law, business, or government, or it may be a rewarding career in itself.

In 2001, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) estimated that 84 percent of paralegals had formal paralegal education beyond an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Numerous courses exist to help paralegals advance their careers.

Before choosing any program, however, the NFPA urges paralegals to critically evaluate the program. Make certain the program is approved by the American Bar Association. The NFPA provides a list, for a small fee, of accredited paralegal training programs. Online directories can also help a paralegal find a program, either online or at a local college or university.

Many of these paralegal programs are also online. A quick search on the Internet reveals several online paralegal courses. Kaplan University, Keiser College, Saint Leo University, the University of Phoenix Online, and Berkeley College all offer online paralegal education programs. Online schools can lead to paralegal certificates, paralegal associate degrees, paralegal bachelor’s degrees, or law certificates. Online courses let paralegals learn, for the most part, at their own pace.

Online introductory courses prepare a paralegal for the legal environment. More advanced studies allow paralegals to learn about management, or specialize in fields like civil litigation, criminal law, or business contracts. Online courses may also boost the career of an experienced paralegal who does not have a bachelor’s degree.

Online courses allow paralegals to learn more and specialize, opening the door to more opportunities for advancement in this rapidly growing field.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paralegals provides detailed information about paralegal jobs, schools, training, courses, certificates, and services. For more information go to Paralegals and/or visit its sister site at Notary Public Web for related information.

Paralegal Schools Can Prepare You For a Career in Law

by Michael Bustamante

You can train to be a respected paralegal at some of the best paralegal schools in the US and Canada. There are a variety of paralegal courses available throughout North America where you can learn to be a professional paralegal, but what exactly will you learn?

Paralegal schools can prepare you for a legal career assisting attorneys and judges in the day-to-day routine duties of the court. You may be able to specialize in one or more aspects of the paralegal profession, such as tax laws, real estate laws, child custody cases, criminal cases, and many others. But, in general, you will be required to have an overall knowledge of law practices and courtroom procedures with the goal of helping legal processes to proceed smoothly.

Whether your ultimate goal is to work for an independent law firm or a government agency, the top paralegal schools will give you a thorough paralegal education to qualify you for a new career. Lawyers often rely on paralegals to help prepare legal arguments, draft motions and pleas, manage individual cases, and assist in the courtroom. Legal and paralegal schools teach paralegals how to help attorneys prepare for a courtroom hearing or trial by researching the facts about a case and investigating the laws that pertain. In addition to a general education, a paralegal course will cover legal terminology and documents, legal software applications, and other related topics.

There are several levels of paralegal education available, beginning with simple professional certification or an Associate of Arts degree in paralegal (AA-P). Either would be great for an entry-level paralegal position. Those who wish to expand their paralegal education can obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in paralegal (BS-P) or Bachelor of Arts - Paralegal (BA-P). If your ultimate goal is to become a legal administrator, such as a court clerk, you may wish to continue your legal studies to obtain a Master of Arts in Paralegal (MA-P) and Master of Science in Paralegal (MS-P) degree.

Graduates of paralegal schools are eligible to take the National Association of Legal Assistants Exam (NALA) to become Certified Legal Assistants (CLAs). With two years of relevant paralegal experience and a minimum of a bachelor's degree in paralegal, you may take the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam to become a Registered Paralegal (RP). Starting salaries for paralegals are in the range of $40,000 - $60,000, depending on experience and level of education.

To find out how you can learn to be a paralegal, we urge you to contact paralegal schools on SchoolsGalore.com today.


DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.

About the Author
Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. Find Paralegal Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com.

The Role of the Paralegal or Legal Assistant in the Criminal Justice Field

by Kenneth Echie

Paralegal or Legal Assistant is an exciting profession in the Criminal Justice field. It is hard to imagine a law office without a paralegal. They can be described as the right hand of the lawyer. In this article I examine the role of the paralegal or legal assistant in the criminal justice field.

The legal assistant as the name suggests is there to assist the lawyer. It is vitally important to know that the paralegal cannot give legal advice or act as a lawyer. What the paralegal does must be under the supervision of a lawyer. The paralegal can do the following under the watchful eye of a lawyer:

1. The paralegal can conduct client interviews. They must identify themselves as paralegals to the client before starting the interview. In this instance, the legal assistant helps the lawyer ascertain the facts of a case by talking to the client. This saves the lawyer valuable time. The lawyer can use that time to work on strategies for the case.

2. The legal assistant can locate and interview witnesses. If you watched the movie Erin Brockovich, you saw Julia Roberts play the role of a paralegal that locates and interviews clients. In one of the scenes, she clearly states that she is not a lawyer. This underlines the point above that paralegals cannot give legal advice. It also underlines the point that they identify themselves as such.

3. Legal assistants can research and prepare legal documents. Paralegals do acquire the training and experience necessary to prepare legal documents. All the lawyer has to do is double check the work to make sure it meets the legal requirements that such document requires. Again, I don't have to tell what a valuable timesaver this is to a lawyer.

4. The paralegal can attend court trials. In this case, they help the lawyer with the case files. This way the lawyer is not fumbling in court looking for files or evidence. The paralegal is there to keep him or her organized.

I can write more volume on the role of the legal assistant or paralegal in the criminal justice field, but you get the point. It is indeed an exciting profession. Think of all the intriguing things that can be involved in a legal case. As a paralegal, you can be in the middle of it all.

Note: You are free to reprint or republish this article. The only condition is that the Resource Box should be included and the links are live links.

About the Author
Copywrite Kenneth Echie. Kenneth is a writer for Criminal Justice Schools and Degrees. Get free scholarship report and learn to become a Paralegal by visiting.

Important Paralegal Services

by Kent Pinkerton

Paralegals are legal assistants who spend most of their time helping to manage the massive paperwork generated by legal proceedings. Paralegals file, sort, index, photocopy, and draft legal documents. They may also hold hearings and interview witnesses.

Most entry-level paralegals should have a bachelor’s degree, and additional certification may increase employment opportunities. The duties of a paralegal depend on the firm for which the paralegal works and the educational training and experience of the paralegal.

Many of the paralegal’s services are performed directly for the benefit of a lawyer, businessperson, or government employee. These services assist the employer with his or her duties. A paralegal may also work directly with the lawyer’s clients, drafting necessary contracts and paperwork. Some paralegals, however, provide legal services for people who cannot afford full legal services. Typical paralegal services include preparing all types of court documents, planning finances, including estates with will and trust plans, and corporate services.

Paralegals prepare a number of court documents, such as motions, briefs, and depositions. Motions petition the trial judge for particular rulings favorable to the lawyer’s team. Briefs are reports that describe and support the motion. Depositions consist of interviews of witnesses before the trial begins. All these documents must be indexed and organized, and often must be entered into a computer, by the paralegal.

With proper training, paralegals may draft wills and trusts, separation agreements, and mortgages. Paralegal services may extend into real estate by helping prepare tax returns and planning estates.

Paralegals with more business training working in a corporate environment may help handle bankruptcies filings, shareholder agreements, stock option plans, benefit plans, or tax returns. Some may keep finance records for the law firm. Others may help oversee business contracts.
Since paralegal services often involve paperwork, it is critical that a paralegal also be experienced in organizing and sorting information, as well as conducting research and interviews. Additional training in all these skills is available at colleges, universities, and online training programs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paralegals provides detailed information about paralegal jobs, schools, training, courses, certificates, and services. For more information go to Paralegals and/or visit its sister site at Notary Public Web for related information.

Get A First Hand Information On Paralegal Jobs

by Jackson Charles Neshah

Paralegal jobs are unique jobs. Support for attorneys to help them do their jobs effectively has always been there from the inception of Law firms. Considering the massive paper work involved in the legal business and the present day Paralegal being well trained in legal matters, a paralegal is an invaluable asset for any serious Law firm.

However the Paralegal job is not limited to the Law firms. Paralegals can find Paralegal jobs in Corporations, Government Agencies and None Governmental Organizations. Paralegals also work in both the Justice departments and the Courts, organizing legal paper work and coordinating interviews, answering to public inquires and generally managing legal matters as may be assigned to them under the law.

Paralegal Qualifications In The United States.
This may not be uniform in all the States since there are a number of different organizations regulating Paralegals here in the U.S.. However, The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, one of the respected Paralegal bodies in the United States, claims that about 84% of Paralegals have obtained some form of Paralegal education; that about 50% of them have at least a bachelors degree, 10% posses either a J.D. or master's degree while the remaining 40% have associate's degrees or on the job experience. The Association, nevertheless, recommends that an aspiring Paralegal should have, as the least qualification, a two-year degree with emphasis on Paralegal studies.

Types Of Paralegal Jobs
There are as many Paralegal jobs as there are different aspects of human endeavor and circumstances. For Instance, you may choose to specialize in Litigation Paralegal to help prepare documents for trials, or you could study Corporate Paralegal so that you will be engaged in the paralegal jobs of preparing paperwork for business deals. There are courses for studding Real Estate Paralegal, Immigration Paralegal, Government Paralegal etc. For instance, Government Paralegals are specifically trained to work in the Government houses, both federal and states to assist Government attorneys, and also to man some specific legal departments where hiring an attorney is unnecessary..

What Kind Of Salaries Do Paralegal Earn?
If you are prepared to work at a paralegal job in a reputable Law firm, Government or Private organization, you are going to enjoy some good salary package that will be the envy of your contemporaries working some of the other jobs elsewhere.

Though a beginner paralegal may be started with a salary scale of about $25, 000 working normal hours, week days, but with the nature of the work load associated with law firms and other places where paralegal jobs exist, you can be sure to work enough overtime to push your annual salary up to as much as $70, 000, aside from life and health insurance allowances.

Applying For A Paralegal Job.
Though your resume is meant to show your educational history, qualifications, awards and experience, do not forget to add claims to professional and personal skills you can defend; make it very clear that you have writing skills, describe your abilities so that you will stand out against the other candidates. You can find sample Paralegal resume online if you search for it via Google. And don't forget also to attach a cover letter explaining the purpose of your resume.

Finding A Paralegal Job
Looking for opportunity for a Paralegal Job is not different from looking for any other job, but you must only look where the need for a Paralegal is required, such as in a Law firm and the other places mentioned earlier in this article.

For an example, the easiest way to locate a Paralegal job opportunity in a Law firm is to search online for "hiring Law firms" instead of going to your neighborhood library to browse through Martindale Hubbel for an index of every lawyer in the United states.

In closing, realize that all qualifications, degrees or certificates are not acceptable to employers equally. Therefore, be sure that, in the first instance you got your training from an ABA approved paralegal schools, especially if you aim to work in a Law firm. Certification from a recognized Paralegal body is also very essential for finding a Paralegal job.

About the Author
Go to Paralegal Jobs In The U.S. or Paralegal Jobs Free Information for more information on Paralegal Jobs in the U.S. Webmasters can use this article so long as the Author bio remains intact.

Choosing the Right Paralegal Courses

by Kent Pinkerton

Paralegals typically have a bachelor’s degree to help them professionally assist lawyers or corporations and government agencies dealing with the law. Paralegals help lawyers navigate the large amounts of paperwork generated in legal proceedings by indexing, photocopying, and filing.

Paralegals also may hold hearings or interview witnesses. A job as a paralegal may help a recent college graduate get into law school, it may help a professional make connections and gain experience to enter law, business, or government, or it may be a rewarding career in itself.
In 2001, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) estimated that 84 percent of paralegals had formal paralegal education beyond an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Numerous courses exist to help paralegals advance their careers.

Before choosing any program, however, the NFPA urges paralegals to critically evaluate the program. Make certain the program is approved by the American Bar Association. The NFPA provides a list, for a small fee, of accredited paralegal training programs. Online directories can also help a paralegal find a program, either online or at a local college or university.

Many of these paralegal programs are also online. A quick search on the Internet reveals several online paralegal courses. Kaplan University, Keiser College, Saint Leo University, the University of Phoenix Online, and Berkeley College all offer online paralegal education programs. Online schools can lead to paralegal certificates, paralegal associate degrees, paralegal bachelor’s degrees, or law certificates. Online courses let paralegals learn, for the most part, at their own pace.

Online introductory courses prepare a paralegal for the legal environment. More advanced studies allow paralegals to learn about management, or specialize in fields like civil litigation, criminal law, or business contracts. Online courses may also boost the career of an experienced paralegal who does not have a bachelor’s degree.

Online courses allow paralegals to learn more and specialize, opening the door to more opportunities for advancement in this rapidly growing field.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paralegals provides detailed information about paralegal jobs, schools, training, courses, certificates, and services. For more information go to Paralegals and/or visit its sister site at Notary Public Web for related information.

Professional Standards

NALA's study of the professional responsibility and ethical considerations of legal assistants is ongoing. This research led to the development of the NALA Model Standards and Guidelines for Utilization of Legal Assistants. This guide summarizes case law, guidelines and ethical opinions of the various states affecting legal assistants. It provides an outline of minimum qualifications and standards necessary for legal assistant professionals to assure the public and the legal profession that they are, indeed, qualified. The following is a listing of the standards and guidelines.

Standards

A legal assistant should meet certain minimum qualifications. The following standards may be used to determine an individual's qualifications as a legal assistant:

1. Successful completion of the Certified Legal Assistant certifying (CLA) examination of the National Association of Legal Assistants;
2. Graduation from an ABA approved program of study for legal assistants;
3. Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants which is institutionally accredited but not ABA approved, and which requires not less than the equivalent of 60 semester hours of classroom study;
4. Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants, other than those set forth in (2) and (3) above, plus not less than six months of in-house training as a legal assistant.
5. A baccalaureate degree in any field, plus not less than six months in-house training as a legal assistant;
6. A minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney, including at least six months of in-house training as a legal assistant; or
7. Two years of in-house training as a legal assistant.

For purposes of these Standards, "in-house training as a legal assistant" means attorney education of the employee concerning legal assistant duties and these Guidelines. In addition to review and analysis of assignments the legal assistant should receive a reasonable amount of instruction directly related to the duties and obligations of the legal assistant.

In addition, NALA members and Certified Legal Assistants Paralegals (CLA CP) are bound by the NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Violation of this Code may result in suspension of NALA membership, or suspension of the certification credential.