How do I choose a paralegal program?

How much do paralegals earn?

How do I know which are the best courses to take while in paralegal school?

Where is the job market the best?

Will I be expected to perform secretarial and/or clerical duties?

How important is ABA approval?

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The leading national professional and educational organizations involved with the paralegal profession have developed a guide to assist in helping you choose a paralegal program. The guide is titled "How to Choose a Paralegal Program" and can be found on the American Bar Association's website of by following the link in this paragraph.

In addition the American Bar Association Subcommittee on Legal Assistants has a list of Paralegal Programs which have been approved by the American Bar Association. Follow this link for the List of Approved Programs.



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The pay scale for paralegals varies widely depending on several factors including what area of the country the paralegal practices in, the size of the employer, the area of law in which the paralegal specializes and how many years of experience the paralegal has. The best source of information is local information, i.e. information about paralegal salaries gathered by a paralegal school or local professional organization. Schools often survey their alumni to gather information about work experiences, including pay. Paralegal associations sometimes survey their members about many things besides salaries, including benefits, billable hours and other matters of interest to paralegals. If you do not have access to either of these sources of information, your next best bet is to check with either of the two national associations, the National Association of Legal Assistants or the National Federation of Paralegal Associations. They may have salary survey available on their web sites. If you are not a member, there may be a charge for the information. Another source of regional data is the salary survey published annually by Legal Assistant Today magazine.

One of the important things when comparing salaries is to make sure you are comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges. One salary may seem higher, but you may not get paid for overtime, or there may be less fringe benefits and perks. Employers vary on whether they pay overtime or not, so be sure to check! Make sure you are analyzing the entire compensation package including sick pay, holiday pay and how much vacation time you can earn.



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There are several factors to consider when answering this question, some which are practical and some which are more personal. First of all, you need to think about what area or areas of the law interest you. Sometimes it's easier to approach this task by ruling out the areas you are absolutely NOT interested in. For example, if you truly hate stress, litigation may not be for you. If you are not a good "hand-holder" you may want to avoid family law. Your next task, which is more on the practical side, is to do some research on a breakdown of the practice specialties of the paralegals in the area in which you plan to live and work. If you will be employed in a large city, you are more apt to find positions in intellectual property or corporate work than if you lived in a very small town, where many attorneys are still general practitioners. To be as marketable as possible, you should try to take the courses offered by your school in which you will most likely be hired.

Keep in mind that it is possible to over-specialize. One of the purposes of your schooling is obtain a broad base of knowledge from which you can draw from. Since many areas of the law overlap each other, the learning you do will probably never be wasted. For instance, some knowledge of bankruptcy laws will serve you well in litigation, when a defendant you are chasing down for unpaid bills becomes insolvent. Familiarity with tax law may come in handy in dividing up assets in a marital dissolution.

Remember, if there is an practice area that your school does not offer, you will able to take continuing education classes through paralegal conferences and training programs in the specialties that interest you.



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This, as with salaries, depends on geographic considerations and practice areas. Timing is also an issue: specialties that were booming a few years ago can cool off. To get the most current information on this topic, check the trade periodicals. Legal placement agencies are also a good source of information on where the employment markets are hot.



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How much clerical work you will be required to do, if at all, usually depends on the size of the office in which you work. Large offices usually have ample support staff to provide paralegals with at least a shared secretary, plus have the personnel necessary to do copying, answer the phones, file documents, run errands and the other myriad tasks generated each day in a law firm. Of course, having people who are paid a lesser salary than a paralegal to do this sort of work makes good economic sense because it frees the paralegal up to perform billable work that bring revenues into the firm. However, smaller offices simply may not have the cash flow to provide support to their paralegals. In fact, some small offices consist of just a paralegal and an attorney and it falls upon the paralegal to answer the phones, type, get out the bills AND perform his or her paralegal tasks. You will have to do some soul searching to find out just how much clerical work you can stand and then choose your employer accordingly. Large and small offices each have their pluses and minuses. One thing to remember is that to get along best with others, you may need to exhibit flexibility in times of rushes or other office emergencies. If your secretary is busy helping someone else, you should be prepared to type and file your own letter. If the office copy person is out sick for the day, know how to operate the copier so you can get the job done yourself.



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ABA approval was once the final word on the quality of a paralegal program. The reason for this is attorneys, who were the ones most likely doing the hiring, were familiar with the concept. The ABA (American Bar Association) is also in the business of approving law schools. The three letters have become synonymous with attorneys for a good quality educational program, whether it be for paralegals or attorneys. However, over the years a few things have changed. The quality of paralegal programs, with the assistance of organizations such as the American Association for Paralegal Education, has improved dramatically. Secondly, the administrators in charge of hiring have become more sophisticated. They now know what to look for in a quality paralegal program and its graduates. In some areas the "ABA approved" requirement is gradually giving way to a paralegal certificate from any respected school plus either a Bachelor's or Associate's degree, however many of the large firms found in metropolitan areas still require a certificate from an ABA approved paralegal program plus a Bachelor's degree. The best bet is to check with your local paralegal association for insight on how important ABA Approval is in your area.

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