People interested in the legal field often ask themselves, “Where can I get a job as a legal assistant?” While this question may seem complex, the answers are actually not. The goal of this article is to explain the necessary steps needed to secure the necessary credentials, the work environment of a legal assistant, and the skills needed to excel as a legal assistant.
What is a Legal Assistant?
A legal assistant can be referred to by many names including: legal secretary, paralegal or legal office manager. In a nutshell, the work paralegals do is quite similar to the work of attorneys. In fact, many seasoned paralegals often have more knowledge than their lawyer counter-parts. But how come they do not get paid as much as lawyers? The answer is simple: paralegals do not have the legal ability to represent clients. People must go through three years of law school and pass a bar exam to be able to legally represent clients. Despite this fact, paralegals jobs are flourishing because people would rather pay a knowledgeable legal assistant than an over-priced lawyer.
Do Legal Assistants Need to be Certified?
There is no legally-binding certificate or license one must possess in order to gain employment as a legal assistant. In other words, there is no exam or courses one must take to work as a paralegal. This may seem counter-intuitive, but we must remember that paralegals are not charged with any duties that can harm the general public. For instance, a doctor must be licensed because a doctor’s mistake can result in unfavorable ramifications. At this point you may ask yourself, “Are you saying I don’t need anything to become a legal assistant?” No! Read on to learn what employers look for and training opportunities.
Best Training to Become a Legal Assistant
Many community colleges and even four-year institutions offer courses or degrees for paralegal studies. They often result in some type of certificate being awarded to successful participants. However, these certificates are usually not regulated by a governing body. This means that different legal assistant programs can be materially different in terms of the curriculum they encapsulate. Nevertheless, most institutions that offer paralegal degrees tend to have the same structure to their programs.
The Experience Factor
If you are not interested in going to school or do not have the means to attend (money, time, etc.), many employers are willing hire somebody with significant legal experience. The rationale behind this is the notion that a semester long course will not provide you everything you need to know to be a successful legal assistant. There are many “quirks” in the legal field that one would only know by experiencing them in the workplace. Employers are well aware of this, which is why firms are more likely to hire someone with many years of experience instead of someone fresh out of paralegal school.
Important Skills
No matter what legal industry, all paralegal jobs require certain skills. One such skill is the ability to be detail-oriented. As you might imagine, legal documents can be very technical in nature. This technicality is what paralegals are expected to possess; one mistake in a contract can cost you your job! Now you do not have to ask anyone, “Where can I get a job as a legal assistant?”
