The National Federation of Paralegal Associations estimates that 84 percent of paralegals have had some formal paralegal education. A paralegal's specialization determines what fields they can work in.

At a minimum, the NFPA recommends that aspiring paralegals have a two-year degree with an emphasis on paralegal studies. A bachelor's degree, however, is recommended.

One of the most important duties a paralegal performs is to assist lawyers as they prepare for corporate meetings, closings, trials and hearings. Although the lawyer must take full responsibility for the accuracy of legal work, they will often delegate many tasks to a paralegal. As a result, paralegals will continue to take on a growing range of tasks inside the nation's legal offices and perform many of tasks traditional done by lawyers.

On the other hand, the duties of paralegals can vary widely depending on the type of organization they work for. Paralegals who work for corporations often assist attorneys with employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock-option plans and employee benefit plans. They may also help prepare and file annual financial reports, maintain corporate minute records and prepare forms to secure loans for the corporation.

Duties for paralegals who work in the public sector also varies between agencies but as a general rule, they analyze legal material for internal use, maintain reference files, conduct research for attorneys and collect and analyze evidence for agency hearings. They may also prepare informative or explanatory material on laws, agency regulations and agency policy for use by the agency and the public.

Paralegals employed in community legal service projects help the poor, the aged and those in need of legal assistance by filing forms, conducting research, preparing documents and when authorized by law, representing clients at administrative hearings.

Paralegals in small to medium-sized law firms usually perform a variety of duties that require a general knowledge of the law. For example, they may research judicial decisions on improper police arrests or help prepare a mortgage contract. On the other hand, those employed by larger law firms, government agencies or corporations are more likely to specialize in one aspect of the law.

Clearly, becoming a paralegal professional is an exciting and ever-demanding field that requires a wide range of skills and knowledge. If you're looking for a career, not just a job and you have the willingness to push yourself this field is ripe for the picking.

In addition, employment in this field is projected to grow much faster than average. The current trend by employers to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform duties traditional carried out by lawyers is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. As a result, employment opportunities are projected to grow much faster than average for at least the next decade.

Becoming a paralegal professional isn't for everyone but if you love research, can work under a deadline, have good writing and organizational skills then take the first step down this rewarding and exciting career path by taking a careful look at the best Paralegal Schools in the country by using the resources we provide.

We also have a complete Paralegal Career Overview on our home page.