Careers: How to Become a Paralegal
To work as a paralegal either in a court or in a law firm, a person needs to have essential knowledge on law procedures. Individuals who want to become lawyers but are not yet capable of financing the study, may choose to take some trainings on legal processes for a time being, and work as a paralegal.
A paralegal is a person who assists lawyers in their legal works. He can be employed under a law firm or work as a freelance. Paralegals are more and more becoming popular in many different countries across the globe. However, their practices vary in different countries. In Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed and regulates just like the lawyers. Their license is given by the Law Society of Upper Canada to give them an independent status and allow them to provide legal services to the public. They can also appear at some lower level courts and administrative tribunals. But in many practices; paralegals are known to work as lawyers’ assistants.
The specific duties and responsibilities of a paralegal are:
- to do research for necessary materials as part of the prep;
- helping lawyers prepapre for a hearing;
- doing research on decrees and case laws;
To proceed with a paralegal training, an individual is required to finish high school or must possess GED In the United States, a paralegal training is required to get a paralegal certification from. Trainings and courses include basic introduction to the law, training in tort, employment and criminal law. An individual undergoing a paralegal training must ensure that the course taken is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) .
There are also online paralegal programs for people who prefer to study at home. However, the programs and the business conducting the training must also be registered under ABA; otherwise all fees, time, and effort will all gone futile. Many people prefer the online paralegal programs because they can study while working at the same time.
As far as the salary is concerned, paralegals may earn an average annual salary of $36,000 for the first 5 years. The payscale may differ from one country to another. It may increase up to $45,000 per annum after 5 years; and then$60,000 after 8 years.
Becoming a paralegal is easy with a few years of law studies and paralegal training. This is one of the most sought-after careers in many different countries, especially because it is easy to acquire and the pay is good. If finding a local school is difficult for you, you may consider enrolling to online paralegal programs. With this, you can choose from different online schools offering trainings and courses while working. Just make sure that the programs you are taking are accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).