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Responsibilities of a Paralegal:

• Preparing and writing court documents, including trial notebooks and jury instructions
• Conducting client and witness interviews
• On-site investigation and photos
  
• Ensuring all case documents are readily available for a law firm and preparing legal documents for trial
• Performing research via online portals and reference libraries for evidence in cases

Legal specialty areas to explore:

• Boutique Firm (practices one type of law, i.e. tax, family law)
• Corporations with in-house counsel (bank, insurance company, medical company)
• Governmental Agencies (social services, defense)
• Home-Office (freelance)

Benefits of a paralegal certificate:

According to the American Bar Association, the average cost of a law degree from a private school is $34,300 annually and more than $16,800 at a public school. The median annual salary for a paralegal nation-wide is $60,970 ($71,110 in the Philadelphia region), and allows a professional to work in the legal field without the debt of a law degree. Working as a paralegal also provides a foundation of knowledge and opportunity for advancement in a law firm.

Job Outlook  

About 43,000 openings for paralegals and legal assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.