Program of Study: Paralegal Studies

Career Information

Paralegals

A legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity that performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. Paralegals assist in the efficient delivery of legal services, under the supervision of an attorney.

About 7 out of 10 work for law firms; others work for corporate legal departments and government agencies

Sample Job Titles

Legal Assistant
Paralegal
Judicial Assistant

Probate Paralegal
Real Estate Paralegal

Typical Responsibilities

Interview clients and witnesses
Conduct investigations
Perform legal research
Draft correspondence and legal documents
Organize, review and coordinate documents for discovery
Assist at trials and hearings
Summarize depositions, testimony, and contracts
Attend will readings, real estate closings, or depositions with the attorney
Review and maintain corporate records

Career Options

Paralegals are important members of the legal team. Their understanding of the legal system and legal concepts combined with practical knowledge of legal forms and procedures make them valuable, cost-effective resources in providing legal services.

Paralegals are prohibited from practicing law, which means that they cannot give legal advice, represent a client in court, accept a case on behalf of a client or establish a fee.

The work that paralegals perform varies depending on the environment in which they work and the area of law in which they practice. Private law firms are the single largest employers of paralegals. Paralegals are employed in Lake County in many different areas of law, such as litigation, real estate, corporate, probate and estate planning, intellectual property, family law, labor law and bankruptcy.

Paralegals also work in other private sector organizations, such as corporate legal departments, insurance companies, trust departments of larger banks, hospitals and health care organizations and real estate and title insurance companies. Numerous opportunities are available in the public sector, such as community legal service programs, offices of public defenders, prosecutors and attorneys general, non-profit agencies, state and federal government agencies and the judicial system.

Career Outlook

Paralegals play an important role within law firms, corporations and public sector agencies in Lake County, the state of Illinois and the U.S. The demand for paralegals is increasing, especially in Lake County.

It is estimated that the need for paralegals will increase by 19.75 percent in Lake County from 2000-2010.*
The Chicago metropolitan area employs thousands of paralegals. Growth is projected to increase 17 percent by the year 2010.*
U.S. Department of Labor statistics indicate growth projections of 29.7 percent in the paralegal profession across the U.S. by the year 2014.**

The paralegal profession is a challenging but rewarding one, with good earnings and growth potential.

The average entry-level wage for paralegals in Lake County is $38,652/year ($18.58/hour), which is higher than the statewide average.*
The average median wage for paralegals in Lake County is $47,230/year ($22.71/hour), which is higher than the statewide median wage.*
The salary range for paralegals in Lake County is $34,000-$115,000, based on a 2007 Illinois Paralegal Association survey of Illinois Paralegals

Many good paralegal jobs are available right here in Lake County.

Students who graduate from Illinois community college paralegal studies programs have a high success rate in finding jobs. The most recent statistics available (2000) indicate that 94.9 percent of paralegal students who responded to a survey by the Illinois Community College Board were employed after graduation.
Lake County law firms and corporations have expressed an increased need for paralegals, as well as a willingness to provide on-the-job learning experiences.***