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6/13/2010 - Paralegals: What Is the Job and How Do You Become Certified?
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The paralegal job description and the duties of a paralegal have changed greatly in the 21st century. The computer revolution has, at the same time, made the job easier and more complicated. A paralegal must now be highly literate in any number of computer programs in comparison with law firms just thirty years ago when everything was done on paper and kept in paper files. Paralegals are used in all types of law: Corporate, Criminal, Real Estate, Immigration, etc. Lawyers often use their paralegals to do research in addition to their duties as administrative associates. Becoming a paralegal takes a great deal of organization. A paralegal must be able to work under pressure. He or she must wear many hats. They must be good at finding and checking facts and be the kind of personality that can take direction easily. A paralegal is not a job for an individual who is disorganized or unreliable. A paralegal must be able to communicate efficiently and with a pleasant demeanor and must be able to learn of variety of computer programs. Some of these programs will be standard, such as MS Word or Excel but many of it will be specific to that law firm and will need to be learned quickly on the job so that there is a seamless transition of employees. A large part of most law practices is keeping up with deadlines and time lines. If the work is not completed on time and done well, it is unacceptable under any conditions in the legal field. A person must truly be dedicated to the idea of becoming a paralegal if they are to land a job in the field. . Paralegal certification or an advanced degree to become a paralegal is available for those willing to put in the time and work necessary and there is, indeed, quite a bit of work that must be done in order to receive certification. |
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