If your dream is to work in the legal field, you cannot afford the studies' expenses or their long years. Here is an alternative solution for you; why don’t you consider the paralegal field? Paralegal jobs are based upon offering small legal services or performing secretarial duties for a lawyer or an employer in the legal sector, such as a law firm, a notary, a team of company lawyers, or even a court. As this can be the professional plan of many graduates, this article offers a shortcut destination towards the paralegal field. Let’s get started!

Jobs in the Paralegal Field:

The paralegal field consists of clerical and administrative jobs related to justice and law. A paralegal applicant should be a graduate to apply for jobs like a Legal Assistant, a Legal Advisor, a court clerk or lawyer’s secretary, etc. all these jobs require having expertise or got the necessary training for this profession. Now, it’s time to discover what a paralegal does. Take a look at; Why to Persue a Career in Commercial Law?

A Paralegal Requirements

1.Qualities, skills, and personal traits:

The qualities of a good paralegal are primarily those of a good clerk or an administrative employee. The applicant should be relatively formal and friendly to greet and direct customers.

-Communication skills: adding to this quality, recruiters are increasingly demanding fluency in English.

-Typing skills: A paralegal must also have writing skills to write many legal documents, which require official value. You, therefore, need a certain fast quality of typing with perfectly mastering legal terms and spelling.

-Organizational skills: A paralegal must also be well organized to schedule appointments, manage the agenda of the meeting, filing and documentation.

Technical skills:  a paralegal must have a perfect mastering of office tools, as most work is done on a computer.

Professional ethics: a paralegal should be a reliable person who should respect the files and clients' confidentiality and not reveal them to the public.

2.Qualification:

Failed at being or lawyer or too lazy to get a Bachelor’s degree in law? You can start a paralegal career path. This job requires specific knowledge in laws such as:

-Family and marriage laws:  they involve studying various legal procedures of childcare, adoption, custody, marriage, divorce.

-Business and firm laws: such as the professional contracts, investments, alliances, etc.

-Immigration laws include assimilating immigrants and helping them follow the terms and conditions of getting a work visa or assimilation within the country. You may also read; How to Write a Legal Job Cover Letter?

Paralegals with a bachelor's degree in paralegal studies or a college diploma in any administrative field, paired with a paralegal certificate, can have the best career prospects. They can work

• In airports
• In embassies
• In logistics
• In courts

3. Internship or training

Paralegals are trained individuals who got an internship to assist lawyers in the provision of legal services. They work in law firms, corporations, immigration offices, and others operate under a lawyer's supervision. Paralegals cannot give a full legal service. They cannot represent a client in court, establish legal fees or sign documents that will be filed with the court. Although some paralegals have no paralegal legal training, many have a 2-year associate’s degree, a 4-year bachelor’s degree, or a paralegal certificate. Some paralegals start their career as legal secretaries for a business investment and take on more responsibilities as they learn the field and become experts in legal affairs.

Legal Assistant’s Career Development:

In general, it is necessary to have a dual competence: secretarial training and legal training. Several diplomas can give access to this position. The candidate applying for a legal assistant can go through a license, Executive Assistant, after which there will be a regular training or internship. For some specialized employers, it is necessary to go through a specific legal specialty. For example, the legal assistant in a court doesn’t have the same eligibility as a legal assistant in an immigration office. The legal backgrounds are not the same. Each applicant has specific legal knowledge applicable to a particular field.  For insurance companies to have access to their legal department, the paralegal applicant should have BTS Insurance.

A Legal Assistant’s Skills:

Knowledge of the precise legal terms: paralegals should have a good grasp of legal terminology, federal and state rules of legal procedures, and civil laws.

Organizational skills: a legal assistant should know how to manage large files and exhibitions, which can number in the hundreds for a single case.

Communication skills: legal assistants regularly interact with clients, experts, suppliers, court staff, and lawyers.

Strong writing and typing skills: a legal assistant is usually an administrative employee who is required for writing oral or recorded audio files, research notes, etc.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Legal Assistant

A legal assistant's roles and responsibilities vary from one organization to another, depending on the legal services provided by these institutions. Despite these differences, there are some everyday tasks required from a paralegal applicant to fit the job offer. These roles are usually to secretarial and clerical duties such as:

• Customer service tasks.

• Typing documents, checking emails and phones, appointments, preparing meetings.

• Carrying out administrative tasks.

• Organizing files and documents.

These were the possible roles of a paralegal graduate.This career evolves according to the legal activity within the organization. Salaries are up to 50,000$ per year and might increase depending on the structure of the legal department.