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Career Exploration

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Also called: Law Associate, Legal Assistant, Paralegal, Paralegal Specialist

What they do:

Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.

On the job, you would:
  • Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
  • Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
  • Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
On the job, you'll need:

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Business

  • administrative services
  • customer service

Safety and Government

  • law and government

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Verbal

  • read and understand what is written
  • communicate by speaking

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Conventional

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Initiative
  • Cooperation
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Document management software

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Document management system software

Word processing software

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word

Information retrieval or search software

  • LexisNexis
  • Thomson CompuMark SAEGIS

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $59,200

Education

Associate's degree or bachelor's degree is usually needed.