Interested in law but not in the seven years of studying it takes to become a lawyer? Paralegals, also called Legal Assistants, are crucial behind-the-scenes law support staff without whom the American legal and court communities could not function (remember Erin Brockovich?). The most common legal studies degree is a paralegal specialist associate degree. If you already have a college degree, earning a legal studies certificate would also qualify you for a job in law support services. Paralegal specialists with a legal studies degree have taken on a great deal more work and responsibility in recent years. For cost-cutting reasons, law firms are shifting some of the work previously done by lawyers to the paralegal staff. Experienced, well-trained specialists with a legal studies degree will have an advantage in the job market.

A good legal studies degree program should include courses in legal research, legal vocabulary and terms, legal documentation, how to organize case information, report-writing, and law-office computer applications. A legal studies internship program will help you gain important paralegal experience.

Legal Studies Degree Related Careers

Graduates with a legal studies degree will be able to find work in law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies. On the job, your legal studies degree will qualify you to research facts pertaining to legal cases; prepare legal documents for real estate closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings; assist attorneys during trials; and manage legal files and databases. Paralegals with a legal studies degree will usually be eligible for positions in personal injury law, labor law and employee benefits, intellectual property, criminal law, bankruptcy, immigration law, family law, and real estate law.

What’s the Job Outlook?

The demand for paralegal specialists with a legal studies degree is high. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that hiring of paralegals and legal assistants will grow sharply between 2006 and 2016, with 291,000 job openings.

How much does it pay?

Paralegal As of 2006, fulltime paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $43,000, with the middle 50 percent earning between $34,920 and $54,000.

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