What are legal assistant duties?
As a legal assistant, you will be tasked with a variety of duties to support lawyers, including drafting documents, conducting legal research, and maintaining and organizing files. You will also help lawyers prepare for corporate meetings, trails, and hearings.
What you need to know to be a legal assistant?
Most legal assistants have at least a two-year associate’s degree, preferably in paralegal studies. Many employers, however, seek candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in legal or paralegal studies. These programs give candidates a thorough background in areas such as legal writing and the different types of law.
Is legal assistant a good career?
There are great jobs, and there are bad jobs, but most positions fall somewhere in between. A career as a paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, can be a wonderfully fulfilling profession, but it also has its disadvantages, from a lack of respect to high levels of stress.
Is a legal assistant a lawyer?
Legal assistants are a lawyer’s right hand. They support lawyers at law firms and private practices by creating and maintaining legal files, doing research and writing the first draft of documents.
What is a lawyer’s assistant called?
“A legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.”
Do you need a law degree to be paralegal?
A four-year bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies may be a requirement for paralegal positions with major law firms, government legal departments or in corporate law. Those who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field can consider earning a paralegal certificate, which can take several months to complete.
How much money does an entry level paralegal make?
How Much Do Entry Level Paralegal Jobs Pay per Hour?
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| Top Earners | $48,500 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $21 |
| Average | $38,008 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $16 |
How do you become a paralegal assistant?
- Complete a Formal Paralegal Education Program Consisting of At Least 18 Semester Hours of Paralegal-Specific Courses.
- Gain Professional Legal Experience.
- Earn Paralegal Professional Certification.
- Consider Different Areas of Law and Find a Job.
Is a legal assistant the same as a paralegal?
The two terms—“paralegal” and “legal assistant”—are still used interchangeably in the legal industry, but the growing trend is to use the title of “paralegal” for certified employees.