What is a Paralegal?

A paralegal is a person who has the experience or education to perform legal work that lawyers would normally do. A Phoenix paralegal may be hired for work in several different types of organizations including law offices, government agencies, individual lawyers, or other legal organizations. The term paralegal and legal assistant are interchangeable.

A Phoenix paralegal may have a diverse educational background

A college education is not required for a Phoenix paralegal, although many paralegals do have a minimum of an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. One study found that almost half of paralegals have bachelor’s degree while about a quarter have an associate’s degree and less than ten percent have a J.D. or masters degree. A Phoenix paralegal can make anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 per year and usually work full-time, but sometimes may be required to work overtime in order to meet deadlines.

A Phoenix paralegal may have a wide range of job duties

A Phoenix paralegal may be called upon to take care of a wide range of legal job duties including interviewing witnesses, collecting and analyzing legal documents, researching legal facts, obtaining information relating to a trial, drafting contracts and agreements, assisting with various needs during trial and more.

The job duties of a paralegal depend on the area of practice at the law firm or facility where they work. There are real estate paralegals, corporate law paralegals, probate paralegals, employment law paralegals, litigation paralegals, and many other types of paralegals depending on the type of organization and area of practice. Some paralegals work in multiple areas of practice as well.

There are several paralegal training and certification programs

Those who are interested in becoming a Phoenix paralegal can consider one of the over 1,000 programs offered by law schools and universities throughout the country. Only a quarter of these programs have actually been approved by the American Bar Association. Students who are interested in becoming a Phoenix paralegal should strongly consider taking an ABA approved program. Although it is not a requirement to graduate from an ABA approved program, it may greatly improve a person’s chances of getting a Phoenix paralegal job, especially in a more competitive paralegal job market.

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