Paralegal

Lawyers would never get anything done
without paralegals! 

Paralegals don’t give legal advice or present cases in court, but they do a lot of the legwork for the lawyers who do. Paralegals work in law firms, corporate legal departments and government offices. Depending on the type of office they work in paralegals may specialize in different areas of the law, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate. Most law firms seek paralegals with a degree or certificate and prior experience, although some firms are willing to train new graduates.

Law firms and corporations are hiring more paralegals because they do a variety of different tasks that help in providing excellent legal services, but they don’t command a salary as high as lawyers. That doesn’t mean paralegals have low salaries, however. In Colorado, paralegals with a certificate or associate degree can expect a starting salary around $29,000 per year and a top salary near $60,000. Paralegals may also earn bonuses for the hard work and long hours they put in when working on deadlines.

As a paralegal you need to be skilled in legal research and writing. CCCOnline's program offers appropriate courses (similar to those taught at most paralegal schools) and soon will expand its course offerings so that you can earn your degree or certificate entirely online. Contracts, torts, criminal law, and civil litigation are just a few of the core courses you are required to take to complete the paralegal program.

You can earn either a certificate or an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Paralegal through CCCOnline depending on your ambition. Most employers are looking for paralegals with a degree or certificate and prior experience and the pay is better for those who have more education.

What Does a Paralegal Do?

Paralegals assist attorneys build and manage cases and clients. As a paralegal, you will play an important role since you typically are the one who does the groundwork for cases, which can include conducting legal research, interviewing clients, and writing briefs that attorneys will use their cases. Specifically, paralegals may assist in the following ways:

• Help lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials and corporate meetings. 
• Investigate the facts of cases to be sure that all relevant information is considered.
• Identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to cases.
• Analyze and organize the information they find and write reports that attorneys use to decide how cases are handled.
• Help prepare legal arguments for lawsuits, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits and help attorneys during trials. 
• Draft contracts, mortgages, separation agreements and trust instruments.
• Prepare tax returns and plan estates.