My Future Career free essay sample

This is a field that I expect will be both challenging as well as professionally rewarding. As a paralegal, I will assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services (National Association of Legal Assistants, 2008). We will write a custom essay sample on My Future Career or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A career in paralegal studies is a prestigious, professional adventure and offers a wonderful opportunity while enhancing ones knowledge of the law and provides for challenges, growth and advancement. After conducting research on this career, I found paralegals have many responsibilities in the legal world. Many of them I was unaware of until this research. Paralegals conduct client interviews and maintain general contact with the client, locate and interview witnesses, conduct investigations and statistical and documentary research, conduct legal research, and draft legal documents, correspondence, and pleadings (National Association of Legal Assistants, 2008). They also summarize depositions, interrogatories, and testimony; attend executions of wills, real estate closings, depositions, court or administrative hearings, and trials with the attorney, and author and sign correspondences (National Association of Legal Assistants, 2008). These are just a few of the responsibilities that paralegals are responsible for under the supervision of the attorney. Paralegals must meet certain requirements to be qualified as a paralegal. Successful completion of the Certified Legal Assistant certifying (CLA) examination of the National Association of Legal Assistants, graduate from an ABA approved program of study for legal assistants, or graduate from a course of study for legal assistants which is institutionally accredited but not ABA approved, and which requires not less than the equivalent of 60 semester hours of classroom study. They could also have a baccalaureate degree in any field, plus not less than six months in-house training as a legal assistant, a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney, including at least six months of in-house training as a legal assistant, or two years of in-house training as a legal assistant. Each states regulations are unique and employers requirements vary widely due to the many kinds of work that paralegals can do (National Federation of Paralegal Associations, 2012). It takes a lot of hard work and really knowing your legalese to be a great paralegal, and I am going to study very hard to get there. According to U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 22 percent between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations (National Association of Legal Assistants, 2008). Private law firms continue to be the single largest employer of paralegals, good job opportunities also exist in several other markets in both the private and public sectors. In addition to private law firms, other organizations in the private sector employ paralegals (American Bar Association, 2011). Some examples include corporate legal departments, insurance companies, estate and trust departments of large banks, hospitals and health care organizations, real estate and title insurance companies, and professional trade associations. Earnings vary considerably depending upon such factors as size of the community, geographical location, and size of the firm, nature of the legal practice, and the paralegals educational background and work experience. Some paralegals work on a part-time or freelance basis, handling overflow from firms and legal departments and are normally paid on an hourly or project basis (American Bar Association, 2011). After writing this essay and doing the research I am very eager to get started on my journey of challenges, growth, and advancement in the legal world. I know it is going to be a lot of hard work to get the schooling that is needed to succeed. Knowing that I will have the opportunity to help people with legal matters, and making a better life for me and my family is going to be reward enough.