Paralegal job outlook
The job outlook for paralegals is great. Jobs are expected to increasing at least until the year 2014. Jobs will continue to rise because it is cheaper to use a paralegal for many tasks than using a lawyer. Plus the population is increasing so more people need legal services. The biggest growing legal areas are elder issues, criminal law, medical law, intellectual property law, environmental law, and bankruptcy. So if you get experience in one of these areas your job security will increase. The chances of you securing a great paralegal job with good pay will increase if you have a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies or a paralegal certificate. You must continue to gain experience in the field.
There are many specialties you can choose from. When you specialize in one of these you can often get a higher salary. Some of the areas you can specialize in include a nurse paralegal, a patent paralegal, an immigration paralegal, a real estate paralegal, and a bankruptcy paralegal. All of these could increase your pay and secure you job.
There are many tips in getting a paralegal job. Some tips include getting your paralegal know how in place. Always keeping your eyes opened for a job opening. Never pretend to be a lawyer. Make sure you get all of your paralegal certificates in place. Don’t wait to get the job first you must have you certificate first.
In order to get a job most employers want you to take the CLA exam. You get this certification from the National Association of Legal Assistants. Then you may become a certified Legal Assistant or a CLA. This is also a certified paralegal. In order to take the CLA examination you must have graduated from a legal assistant program. The program must be approved by the American Bar Association; it can be an Associate degree program or a Bachelor's degree program in legal assistant studies; or a Post-baccalaureate certificate program in legal assistant studies; or a legal assistant program consisting of at least 60 semester hours where at least 15 semester hours are legal courses. You could also have a Bachelor’s degree in any field plus one year's experience as a legal assistant or 15 semester hours.
Lastly, you could have a High school diploma or GED plus 7 year's experience as a legal assistant, plus 20 hours of continuing legal education credit completed within a 2 year period prior to the examination date.
The CLA exam is an exam that covers federal law and procedure it takes two days for the entire exam. It is offered 4 times a year in big cities. It has over 1,000 questions and 5 different sections that you must pass. Once you pass you must retake the CLA every 5 years.
