You can also go back to school and pursue a higher-level degree that allows you to focus solely on a specific area of law. Professional certification at the basic level demonstrates that you possess an advanced level of knowledge and competency as a paralegal, while professional certification at the advanced level is your time to develop your expertise in a specific area of law through one or more of the following paralegal certification agencies.
The following paralegal associations certify paralegals at both the basic and advanced levels. Expect to first earn basic certification before you are eligible to move on to advanced certification:. There are as many legal specialties to choose from as there are areas of law, and in some cases, there are even a variety of niche specialties within an area of law.
Some of the more popular areas of specialization are:. Administrative law deals broadly with governments and agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. Government regulation, governmental agencies, and actions taken by the government are collectively housed under the administrative law umbrella.
If you work in administrative law , your work could be focused on everything from disability and welfare programs to financial regulation to public health and immigration.
It is common to work for attorneys in a specific area of administrative law, whether in the private or public sector. In the private sector, administrative law often includes helping private clients comply with governmental regulations in areas such as tax and energy.
But administrative law may also concern federal regulations that deal with things like human rights abuses and environmental protection, so you could also aim your career toward nonprofit organizations and pro-bono firms that handle cases concerning everything from immigrant rights to the environment.
Want to show your expertise in administrative law? Appellate courts and the lawyers who work in them oversee the process of appealing lower court decisions. In appellate law, you may work for an attorney or law firm that deals with appeals in either state or federal courts, for civil or criminal cases.
Your work in appellate law may include specializing in a specific practice area, such as tax law or criminal law, and you may work for a state or federal governmental agency or a private law firm. Want to show your expertise in appellate law? Bankruptcy lawyers may represent creditors individual or corporate or debtors party to insolvency issues. If you work alongside a bankruptcy attorney, you will be highly versed in the U.
Bankruptcy Code. Want to show your expertise in bankruptcy law? Constitutional law is a highly complex area of law that involves the rights of individuals based on state and federal constitutions. Attorneys working in constitutional law may represent the rights of individuals, or they may work in state or federal government where they study and interpret the roles, power, and structure of state and federal governments.
Corporate lawyers and law firms advise businesses of their responsibilities, rights, and obligations. Corporate law can and does often encompass legal issues ranging from contract law to intellectual property law to legislative compliance. Activities involve the formation, organization, dissolution, and financing of corporations and includes mergers, takeovers, internal reorganization, and acquisitions.
You may work with corporate lawyers in law firms usually large or with in-house corporate counsel. Want to show your expertise in corporate law? Criminal defense attorneys represent clients accused of committing crimes, which can range from misdemeanor traffic violations to first degree murder. You may work alongside a criminal defense attorney employed by a governmental agency at the local, state, or federal level , or with one that serves as private counsel.
Like criminal prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys deal with issues focused on individual liberties, responsibilities, and basic rights. Criminal prosecutors and District Attorneys bring charges against individuals engaged in illegal behavior. Like criminal defense attorneys, they deal with fundamental issues of the law and personal liberties. They present the interests of the state in prosecuting individuals accused of crimes.
Want to show your expertise in criminal defense or prosecution? They may also seek damages involving discrimination in areas such as employment, education, and transportation. Want to show your expertise in disability law? Employment law governs the relationship between employers and workers and the laws surrounding this relationship.
You may work for a private firm, a nonprofit organization, and federal, state, local, and international governmental agencies. Your work may involve working alongside an attorney who represents employers, employees, unions, special interest groups, and groups of employees.
Many employment disputes deal with wage violations, health and safety violations, and discrimination. As a paralegal specializing in employment law, you will be an expert in everything from the American with Disabilities Act to the Civil Rights Act of Want to show your expertise in employment law?
The data helped us identify some of the top skills employers are seeking from each position. As you can see, there is a slight overlap in skills, but there are different specialized tasks for each position.
Paralegals are more involved with the actual technicalities of the law, whereas legal assistants undertake broader tasks. If you are looking for a more hands-on law career, becoming a paralegal may interest you more. However, becoming a legal assistant first could be a great way to find out if you enjoy working in the field before committing to school. Approximately 58 percent of paralegal job postings ask for three to five years of experience, with 35 percent of job postings being entry level, requiring zero to two years of experience.
DeLuca suggests interning during the summer at a legal firm, as some law firms will go on to hire interns full time. Once interns gain experience, the law field is easier to navigate.
Lawyers are dependent on their paralegals and secretaries, so once they have someone they know is reliable and trustworthy, they are hesitant to make any changes. Paralegal and legal assistant jobs will see a steady growth as law firms look to cut costs; this is because paralegals bill at a much lower rate than lawyers and can do many of the same tasks as a newly graduated lawyer, but they are a more appealing hire to firms.
Legal secretaries do not need a post-secondary degree. Forty-one percent of legal secretary jobs only require a high school diploma. For those looking to get a feel for working in law before committing to extra schooling, a job as a legal secretary could be the perfect starting point. Now that you know what the differences are between a paralegal vs. Interested in further pursuing a career as a paralegal? This data does not represent starting salaries and employment conditions in your area may vary.
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Being a Paralegal II prepares legal documents, such as briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, etc. Understands technical legal terminology. Typically requires a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. Additionally, Paralegal II typically reports to an attorney. Typically requires paralegal certification.
The Paralegal II gains exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. Occasionally directed in several aspects of the work. To be a Paralegal II typically requires 2 to 4 years of related experience.
Employers: Job Description Management Tool.
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