The skills you need to be a legal secretary are attention to detail, organization and time management.
You also need hard skills, such as knowledge of legal terminology, documentation and procedures.
To become a legal executive you will require a Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school and it also requires admittance to a state bar.
A legal executive is not the same as a paralegal.
The role of a legal executive is similar to a solicitors role although the training route is different and the legal executives training covers only one or two specialist areas.
Paralegals provide office and case support to solicitors and barristers.
Generally speaking however, a paralegal usually holds a higher position than that of a legal secretary. Paralegals typically have a higher level of educational attainment.
They may hold a college degree and may have several certifications, such as the ones offered here at CSL.
The average salary of a paralegal in Canada is $72,492.00 per year or $37.18 per hour.
Entry level paralegal positions salary in Canada begin at $57,525.00 per year although most experienced paralegals make on average of $75,478.00 per year in Canada.
The job description of a paralegal is to provide clerical and research support services which include document preparation and review, interviewing witnesses and clients and doing research, investigations and fact checking as well as trial preparation.
Paralegals assist with case planning, development, and management, legal research, interviews clients, gathers facts and retrieves information, drafts and analyzes legal documents and collects, complies and utilizes technical information, to make recommendations to an attorney.
The difference between a paralegal vs a lawyer is that Paralegals support lawyers by assisting them with legal research, document preparation and also client communications and lawyers are more highly trained and better compensated than paralegals.
Also paralegals are not licensed to practice law or to represent clients and lawyers are licensed to represent their clients and practice law.
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law.
The best place to work as a paralegal is San Jose CA.
Other best places to work as a paralegal are.
Washington, DC.
Trenton, NJ.
San Francisco, CA.
Seattle, WA.
Reno, NV.
Hartford, CT.
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX.
Paralegals make on average of $33,000.00 to $85,000.00 per year.
However in some locations Paralegals with more experience may make as much as $100,000.00 to $130,000.00 per year.
The pros and cons of being paralegal are.
Pros.
Being a Paralegal is a good paying Job.
Paralegals are in demand and will always be in demand.
Room for growth.
You make a difference.
It Offers You Career Longevity.
It Will Pay You Well.
It Sticks to a (Mostly) Predictable Work Schedule.
It Offers You the Prestige of Professional Certification.
It Provides You Recognition and Advancement.
It Offers You the Potential to Be Your Own boss.
Cons of being a paralegal are.
Busy Schedule·
Stressful and Challenging Work schedule·
Mundane Tasks·
Competitive Law School Admissions·
Schooling Costs.
Paralegals do not need to take the LSAT test unless they are planning on going to law school.
Anyone planning on going to law school has to take the LSAT test but if you just want to become a paralegal it's not required to take the LSAT test.
Paralegals are overworked and often get stressed out and suffer from burnout.
The type of paralegal that makes the most money is the paralegal manager who makes on average of $104,775.00 yearly.
Paralegal managers are responsible for the case management and workload of the paralegal team, assigning projects that include the preparation of various legal documents, court proceedings, and billing procedures, tracking continuing education hours, and ensuring the accuracy of the work produced.
A paralegal can become a lawyer by attending law school and then passing a bar exam.
Paralegals can also earn the title of paralegal manager within a law firm.
A natural step for a number of paralegals is to attend law school and become an attorney; many students become paralegals as the first step to a legal career.
Paralegals are usually unhappy because being a paralegal is a highly stressful job and they also work long hours which causes burnout.
Paralegals who are employed in law firm environments frequently work more than 40 hours a week, although those who are employed in corporate and government arenas might enjoy more relaxed schedules.
And you can probably forget about being paid time and a half for your hours over 40.
Paralegal jobs are stressful and a lot of paralegals suffer from burnout from the paralegal job.
As a paralegal you will work notoriously long hours, and your tasks as a paralegal include everything from office management to doing case research and preparing and editing legal contracts and documents.
Paralegal's tasks have a direct impact on the outcomes of matters and cases.
The average beginning salary for most paralegals is $51,740.00 per year.
In some places some paralegals may earn as much as $81,00.00 per year.
Not surprisingly, senior-level and supervising paralegals in large law firms with 75 or more attorneys earn the highest salaries among all paralegal groups.
According to the Robert Half 2021 Salary Guide, the average senior-level paralegal salary ranges between $62,000.00 and $105,000.00
Paralegals and legal assistants often work in teams with attorneys, fellow paralegals, and other legal support staff.
Paralegals do most of their work in offices. Occasionally, they may travel to gather information, collect and review documents, accompany attorneys to depositions or trials, and do other tasks.
Paralegals are legal assistants who provide support to lawyers.
Although they don't actually give legal advice or represent clients during trials, they play a huge role in legal proceedings.
They can interview clients and witnesses, conduct important research, and prepare court documents.
A lawyer is someone who has studied law and has the authority and qualification to practice it whereas a paralegal can work for an attorney but cannot practice law.
Paralegals can research cases, file documents and help prepare legal reports for the lawyer they work for.
The paralegals that make the most money are.
Paralegal Manager. $104,775.00
Legal Project Manager. $87,375.00
Intellectual Property Paralegal. $86,800.00
Nurse Paralegal. $82,687.00
Employment and Labor Law Paralegal. $80,685.00
Government Paralegal. $78,478.00
Senior Paralegal. $69,995.00
Corporate Paralegal. $66,134.00
To become a paralegal you need to do the following.
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.