Paralegal/Legal Assistant
CNN’s Money Magazine names Administrative Support Personnel including Paralegals 2nd on the list of hottest careers for 2008.
Earn an A.A.S. Degree in Paralegal Studies and enjoy a high-paying, professional career as a Paralegal. You may work for a law firm, government agency or major corporation. Or you may choose to go on to get your bachelor’s degree and even go to law school. The possibilities are endless and the rewards are tremendous.
Whether you are just starting out or starting over, your future begins today!
About the Paralegal Studies Program
Navarro College offers two programs designed to prepare individuals to perform and assist in performing duties requiring knowledge of substantive and procedural law under the direct supervision of an attorney or to perform duties for corporations and other employers that benefit from the Paralegal’s ability to gather, analyze and organize information and to understand legal issues.
Navarro College offers a one-year certificate which can be completed in one-year. This program works best for those students already employed as a Paralegal or those seeking the credential in addition to a previously earned degree.
Most other students should pursue Associates of Applied Sciences Degree in Paralegal Studies. This degree can be completed in two years.
A new offering beginning in the Fall 2009 is the A.A.S. Paralegal studies with Criminal Justice Emphasis. The Criminal Justice emphasis allows the student to focus on criminal law and is specifically designed to prepare the student for paralegal work in a law firm specializing in criminal defense, a public defender's office, a prosecutor's office, a probation department, court or other goverment agency that would benefit from the paralegal's knowledge of criminal law and procedure.
Tech Prep: Articulated Credit may be available for some courses students complete while in high school. See Tech Prep Director for more information.
About the Paralegal Profession
What is a Paralegal? There are probably as many definitions of the term “paralegal” or its equivalent “legal assistant” as there are attorneys, corporations, government agencies and other entities that employ them. According to the American Bar Association, a legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed by a lawyer, law office, corporation, government agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which the lawyer is responsible.
What do Paralegals do? Paralegals perform many of the legal functions traditionally undertaken by an attorney. The paralegal performs these tasks under the direct supervision of a licensed attorney. Attorneys assume ultimate responsibility for the work, but are increasingly delegating many of their duties to paralegals. While the Paralegal job description will no doubt vary depending upon the employer, some common tasks a paralegal may be expected to perform are listed below:
- Conduct client interviews and maintain general contact with clients
- Locate and interview witnesses
- Conduct legal investigations
- Calendar and track important deadlines
- Organize and maintain client files
- Draft legal documents and forms
- Conduct legal research
- Assist attorneys at depositions, hearings and trials
- Organize information in preparation for trial
- Manage law office procedures
Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public and are expressly forbidden by law from carrying out duties that are considered the practice of law such as giving legal advice, setting legal fees, and appearing in court on behalf of a client.
Where do Paralegals work? Paralegals work in a variety of settings including private law firms, government offices and courts, corporate legal departments, and other business such as banks, title companies, and insurance companies. Paralegals deal with all areas of the law including litigation, personal injury, real estate, family law, criminal law, bankruptcy, environmental law, employment law, corporate law, and elder law, among others. The duties of paralegals vary widely depending upon the employer. A paralegal may work in an office that specializes in a particular area of the law or for an attorney with a general practice encompassing many specialty areas.
Employment Outlook and Salary Expectations
Outlook: Increasing demand for qualified paralegals is expected to continue for years to come. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Paralegal field is the 6th fastest growing occupation in the United States with demand for paralegals expected to rise in law offices, government agencies, corporations and other entities through the year at least through the year 2016. There are opportunities for employment in Navarro, Ellis, Kaufman and Limestone Counties as well as Dallas, Waco, Fort Worth and other major cities. In short, wherever there are lawyers, there is a demand for qualified paralegals!
Salaries: Students considering the Paralegal profession will be happy to learn that salaries continue to increase as well as demand. Salaries vary greatly in the profession depending upon various factors. Education, experience, geographic area, size and type of employer play a part in the salary a paralegal can expect to earn. According to a 2007 survey conducted by Legal Assistant Today, a respected paralegal publication, the national median annual salary for paralegals was $52,000. A similar survey conducted by the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas in 2005 concluded that the median base salary for paralegals working in Texas law firms is $45,695 with those paralegals working for government agencies was $37,334.
Paralegal Credentials:There are currently no requirements for Paralegals in Texas to be licensed or credentialed. However, The National Association of Legal Assistants, a respected national paralegal organization provides a voluntary certification procedure for graduates of paralegal programs meeting certain criteria. Navarro graduates are eligible to take the CLA exam, which is offered several times a year in the Dallas area. By passing the exam and meeting other requirements set by NALA, a graduate can earn the recognized “Certified Legal Assistant” or “CLA” distinction. For more information – go to www.nala.org.
ABA Approval: Navarro College is in the process of applying for program approval through the American Bar Association. This is a voluntary approval process. Currently, only 12 out of the 100 plus paralegal programs in the state are ABA approved. In an effort to bring the best in quality education and employability to our students, Navarro College has chosen to begin the rigorous process of seeking this credential.