Graduates with a degree in para legal studies may only need to watch television for a few evenings to recognize how many careers are available to them. It is true that graduates with a degree in para legal studies have not passed the bar and are therefore not authorized under law to perform many legal functions. Nonetheless, there are countless behind the scenes legal functions which ,while not requiring the services of an attorney at law, match up nicely with the skills and abilities of graduates with a degree in paralegal studies. Some graduates with a degree in paralegal services may eventually go on to pursue a full blown law degree . Those who choose not to will not lack for meaningful and rewarding employment.
Low income legal assistance What initially draws some eventual graduates to pursue a degree in para legal studies is a charitable motivation. Recognizing that low income Americans often suffer from their financial inability to retain legal assistance, advice or direction, some graduates with a degree in para legal studies determine to get a degree so that they can work for agencies that offer legal services free or at a greatly reduced rate to the needy. Graduates with a degree in para legal studies who put their abilities at the service of the poor, disenfranchised, unemployed, homeless or incompetent take on employment that is physically and mentally taxing but that can also be emotionally and spiritually uplifting and fulfilling.
Law Office Employment Having considerable familiarity with the law, legal resources, and legal terminology graduates with a degree in para legal studies can be invaluable members of a law office staff. Because they can handle preliminary interviews, phone calls, research, written reports and unending paper work, graduates with a degree in para legal studies are much valued by attorneys. Graduates with a degree in para legal studies free attorneys from the time consuming , labor intensive aspects of their job and help the office to function with better over all efficiency .
For some graduates with a degree in para legal studies , it may be difficult to continually take a back seat or play second fiddle to the attorneys in the office, especially the less competent ones. But many others see the opportunity to work as a para legal as a chance to enjoy working in a career with the law that they love without bearing full responsibility for the success or failure of the law office. It is certainly true that para legals are not going to make the major money that goes into the pockets of full fledged attorneys but graduates with a degree in para legal studies also know that they will not deal with any where near the stress and work loads that fall to staff lawyers.
Legislative Aids There is no place you can work that will give you a better closeup view of how law is formulated than in the legislative body of one of the fifty states or one of the houses of Congress. Most of the work that comes across a legislator’s desk is connected in some way with law. For this reason legislators are happy to hire assistants who have a degree in para legal studies, who can deal efficiently and accurately with the mountain of legal paper work that accumulates on a daily basis. There really is a career opportunity for graduates with a degree in para legal studies who are academically prepared to reply with authority to constituents, staffers and other legislators when the boss is unavailable to address an issue.
Careers for graduates with a degree in para legal studies that take them to the state house or Congress can be exciting, interesting, and exhaustive. They allow grads a chance to mingle in a whole different world and feel the pulse of government going on all around them. They don’t pay especially well but they do provide graduates with a degree in para legal studies a chance to use their learned skills in an important enterprise.
Corporate Legal Departments A large percentage of graduates with a degree in para legal studies find careers waiting in the legal departments of corporate offices. When a business is relatively large it is likely that it will have its own legal department rather than hiring an outside firm to represent them. To save even more money companies have learned that they can reduce the high salaries demanded by attorneys by replacing a percentage of them with para legals. Knowing that graduates with a degree in para legal studies can perform many of the legal functions that high priced lawyers want to be payed for, management teams have determined to reduce company expense and fill attorneys places with para legals whenever it is appropriate to do so. This means that corporate legal departments offer many jobs for graduates with a degree in para legal studies and often these careers are offered at a generous salary.
Free Lance Para Legals For the daring graduate with a degree in para legal studies there is always the chance that he or she may entertain the idea of opening their own para legal free lancing service. This effectively means that para legals realize that because they offer their work more cheaply than attorneys they can openly compete for some legal tasks with the likelihood of being hired to do that one function. There is real adventure in this kind of work but of course there is also a good deal of risk taking. Some of the risk is reduced as free lancers begin to build a clientèle. A career as a free lance para legal really can give a graduate with a degree in para legal studies a wonderful feeling of independence and self worth. Working on your own allows you to determine your hours, your rates and your co-workers, if any. If you are ready to work hard and take a chance, consider working as a free lance para legal.
America is a law centered society. A quick look at television or newspapers lets any doubters know that law and legal suits dominate the American scene. But you don’t have to be an attorney to take financial advantage of this reality. Graduates with a degree in para legal studies can choose from many law related career opportunities that will provide a living and last a lifetime.
