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Is paralegal a good career.?

On October 3, 2008 / By Real Estate Law Help / In Real-Estate-Property-Law

I know the pay starts lower @ 30,000 or so but if your good you can make more. Also, what elective courses should I take. Im taking the 2yr degree and there is this huge list of paralegal courses you can take. what elective courses will make me more in demand? wills trusts probate, torts, employment law, real property and real estate, contracts, bankruptcy, criminal law, evidence, etc..these are just a few. I dont know which ones to take?> Any advice.

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3 Responses to “Is paralegal a good career.?”

  1. heyteach said:

    Feb 02, 09 at 1:16 am

    This gives you outlook info:
    http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm

    "There will be demand for paralegals who specialize in areas such as real estate, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, and product liability. Community legal service programs, which provide assistance to the poor, elderly, minorities, and middle-income families, will employ additional paralegals to minimize expenses and serve the most people. Job opportunities also are expected in Federal, State, and local government agencies, consumer organizations, and the courts. However, this occupation attracts many applicants, creating competition for jobs. Experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best job prospects."

    What INTERESTS you? I’d use that to determine the electives and area I’d try to focus on. Personally I prefer criminal law and Constitutional law to other fields, so I would lean towards those myself as I find them most interesting. If you have other areas of interest, like real estate law, that could be a better choice for you.

    Join the student organizations available and ask instructors for their take on what’s best locally.

    Good luck!

  2. Beautifully_Broken said:

    Feb 02, 09 at 10:57 am

    Paralegal is a great career! The demand is high and ever growing. You are right, very efficient and knowledgeable paralegals can make upwards of $80,000/year. Earnings are best in metropolitan areas working at large firms.

    I assume that the school you are going to does not have a designated Paralegal Program. I also assume that your school is not American Bar Association (ABA) approved. This is going to make it harder for you to find a job, but it isn’t the end of the world.

    Which classes to take depends on what interests you and what area of law you think you might want to work in. The school I attended for my AA in Paralegal Studies, which is ABA approved, had a set curriculum but students did get to pick 2 elective courses. My mandatory classes (and these are ones you should consider taking as well) were: intro to paralegal profession, rules of civil procedure, criminal procedure, civil litigation, family law, real estate law, contract law, legal research and writing I & II, law office managment, torts, wills, trusts and probate and I can’t remember the rest. I chose environmental law and bankruptcy as my electives.

    If you don’t have that many credits to take, make sure you do take at least these: civil procedure, intro to paralegal profession, criminal procedure, civil litigation, legal research and writing, and law office managment. Those are the core courses and any aspiring paralegal needs the knowledge learned therein.

    If you have any other questions e-mail me at rmw1191@yahoo.com

  3. y_girl said:

    Feb 06, 09 at 9:56 pm

    I recently left the bankruptcy field doing practically the same thing as a paralegal and it is booming. Criminal law is another big area. You can take some criminal justice courses to complete a degree in that area. I am currently in school for criminal justice myself. As a paralegal in bankruptcy, your choices are many. You can work at the federal courthouse, a law firm or for one of the chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy offices. As a paralegal for criminal law, you can work at a courthouse or a law firm. There are many more options available I just named a few.

    Good luck!

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