3 March 2010
How much money does a person make with and associates degree in Paralegal?
Posted by admin under: Law & Legal .
How much money does a person make with and associates degree in Paralegal? Can a person work for a lawyer firm without and associates and without pervious experience such as a law clerk? Can a paralegal become a lawyer?
5 Comments so far...
Terrible Mess Says:
4 March 2010 at 11:16 pm.
Sure a paralegal with an associates degree can become a lawyer but not just by working in a legal firm- you have to go get your Bachelors , then go to law school and pass the bar exam. As far as how much you can make with you associates, look on salary.com for the positions you are qualified for to get an idea of the median salary in you area. If you are not sure what you are qualified to do, ask your guidance counselor or look through job listings for the positions you think you’d be qualified for (legal assistant, clerk, etc) and see what they are requiring for education.
As for working in a law practice without any degree at all- it’s possible but probably not doing more than clerical, answering phones, etc. My sister did this in high school for a lawyer’s office. But that was one guy practicing alone in the suburbs, not a big time law firm in one of the cities. I am pretty sure those would want a Bachelor’s just to answer the phone.
cc Says:
6 March 2010 at 8:04 pm.
When I was in law school there were a lot of former paralegals there. It actually gives you an advantage over other students. Less experienced Paralegals can make $25k–$32k. Paralegals with 15yrs+ can make $50k+ at large firms. Not all small firms/solo offices require any kind of paralegal degree. They’re not looking for law clerks–a paralegal wouldn’t get such a job, a law school graduate would–but they are looking for law office experience.
Irish Amber Says:
6 March 2010 at 8:34 pm.
A lot of firms that use paralegals won’t use ones with no experience. I would start working in a firm, office assistant, something along those lines and see if you can work your way up.
vicseo Says:
7 March 2010 at 1:09 am.
The opportunities for a paralegal really depends on the specialty. The most in demand paralegals are those in the litigation field; followed by corporate paralegals who are responsible for maintaining corporate records, articles of incorporation, etc. While the “least” markeable [but the "highest" paid] paralegals are in the field of intellectual property [i.e., patents, trademarks] and immigration law. In conclusion, choose your paralegal courses accordingly, with emphasis on litigation preparation [discovery], docketing/calendaring of incoming pleadings [calendaring] and trial preparation [creating Exhibit tabs, Bajii jury instructions, etc.]. The “pro” side of a litigation paralegal is often “unlimited” overtime which can amount to a high salary range of $65,000 to $75,000 per year, while the “downside,” being constantly pressured to meet a monthly client billable quota. And failing to meet that quota, often results in the paralegal’s overnight dismissal. It’s not a pretty picture. I just want to lay out what really happens in the real world of litigators and their relationship with subordinate paralegals.
Good luck!
It'sMe Says:
10 March 2010 at 10:28 am.
When I first graduated with my associates degree I had a hard time finding employment as a paralegal because I had no experience. Law firms don’t like to hire people they are going to have to train. Time is money! My first paralegal job paid about $30k/year. More paralegal experience = more money.
You can work at a law office without a degree but it won’t be as a paralegal, probably as a copy clerk or receptionist. And yes, pretty much anyone that wants to can become a lawyer. You just have to have a bachelors degree (4 yrs) then go to law school (3 yrs) and then pass te bar exam (yikes).