Paralegals and paralegals are responsible for performing a wide variety of tasks in law offices, generally working under the supervision of an experienced attorney or attorney. While there are some duties that paralegals are prohibited from exercising, a paralegal will play an important role in preparing final statements, hearings, trials, and other meetings.

They will generally research case histories and identify the appropriate jurisprudence to assist an attorney. After organizing this information, a paralegal can prepare a written report that will then be used by an attorney, and will also keep a record of any files that are important to the case.

Paralegals will generally work 40 hours a week in an attorney’s office, although they may have to work longer hours if an attorney has a large number of cases or if they are working during a busy time of year.

A large number of paralegals have an associate’s degree in paralegal studies, although this is not necessarily a requirement for obtaining employment in a law office. The American Bar Association offers 260 programs nationwide, and there are more than 1,000 formal programs nationwide.

The National Legal Aid Association offers certification in paralegal work with the designation of Certified Paralegal or Certified Paralegal Credential. Typically, these professionals can acquire responsibilities in a law firm by taking on more tasks than traditionally assigned to an attorney.

In 2006, these people held about 238,000 jobs in the United States, and private companies hired 70% of these legal professionals. The legal departments of corporations and the government made up the rest of the jobs, and some paralegals start their own consulting businesses.

Job growth for these individuals is expected to be quite rapid, as more law firms are training paralegals to perform many routine tasks at the firm, in order to cut costs and save money. Those who specialize in areas like real estate, product liability, and medical malpractice will have the best employment opportunities.

In 2006, the middle 50th percentile of paralegals earned between $ 33,920 and $ 54,690, and many paralegals who worked for law firms received bonuses such as vacation, sick leave, health insurance, dental insurance, and continuing education.