Thinking of Joining the Legal Field?

Being a paralegal is very challenging and the work itself is very demanding. It requires in-depth knowledge of the law and its enforcement, familiarity on the government's operation and various agencies' mandates; from the executive offices to legislative, administrative and of course the judiciary. The demand to be knowledgeable on technology and the computer is also high, as well as having an extensive vocabulary and writing skills. Tact and common sense are definitely a must! Simply because our role in the daily operation of our respective firm and to our attorney is of the essence.

A paralegal must always serve as his/her attorney(s)' most accessible reference on what's new on the news and current events; latest on practice and procedure, updates on statutes, likewise on status of bills and legislations.

We play as the living ticklers for our attorneys; to remind them of court hearings, or appointment with clients and accompany them if needed. We must keep good track of statutory deadlines, missing those is now the most common reason for getting sued for malpractice.

Paralegals must also be keen to details and thorough; carefully checking and double checking all legal correspondence, writings and pleadings-always aiming for an error free document.

We must be cautious on protecting any and all of atty-client's privileged information. And, to keep in mind that it is unethical to talk about clients' cases and information to anybody, not even to our families, spouses, even with co-workers unless there's a legitimate reason to warrant it or that the court requires us to do so.

Paralegals must be law abiding and we should never obstruct justice. We must uphold dignity, credibility and integrity!

Most often, we are asked to perform bookkeeping and accounting jobs for our attorneys and our firm. In a small organization or firms of one up to three lawyers; paralegals are mostly likely tasked to keep track of attorney's billable hours; to bill or send statements; to collect and receive payment from clients.

Despite having a legal secretary on the side, many attorneys still rely on paralegals for administrative work, especially if it is a sensitive one. This is because, legal documents and writings have a specific guidelines to follow; from the size of the paper to the size and type of the fonts to be used, margins and spacing, and over-all standard format and etc, which are all set specifically by the court. With this sensitivity, attorneys depend more on us to finalize the first set of document(s) and/or pleading(s) prior to turning it over to the secretaries for copying, binding and filing.

Researching, investigating; evidence searching and/or discoveries top the list of paralegal's toughest duties. Being able to multi-task is crucial.

These are just gist of what we commonly do and there's really more to it. But, what is truly rewarding is that with our job well-done, our attorneys deliver the best legal service to our clients; enabling them to be always on top of our cases, schedules and deadlines that will surely attract more business to our doorsteps, and, keep us away from lawsuits and complaints of malpractice.

Our salary may vary from state to state, but, currently, all over the U.S, the average we can get is as low as $30,000 for start and up to $70,000 (at the most) for basic pay. But with our billable hours included, we can get as much as a junior attorney can get and that would range as high as six figures annually.

So, if you see yourself having an eye for justice, equality, peace and regulation, civil service and human rights then a paralegal degree might be the right one for you. But, when choosing a school or university, always opt for the one approved or accredited by the American Bar Association. In this way you can practice outside U.S., like in Canada and Europe, where paralegals get paid relatively high. You might want to consider also, getting certified after finishing the course.

Certification will make you more professional; establishes your competency that will give you better edge among your competitors and will enable you to learn more in the field through continuing education. It will likewise broaden your networks and will help you gain more friends in the legal field.

For latest news in the paralegal profession, or what's current in practice and procedures, likewise for memberships, please visit the National Federation of Paralegal Association @ www.paralegals.org, or NALS @ www.nals.org, and in Hawaii, the Hawaii Paralegal Association @ www.hawaiiparalegals.org.