There are a number of benefits that go hand-in-hand with a legal assistant. Case in point, are you aware that the average paralegal salary is around $34,000 per year? Legal assistants working for the government have the possibility to receive twice that salary. In addition to the superb salary, you may not need a traditional paralegal degree in order to qualify for a position. Law firms are in serious need of legal assistants with experience. It's a fact, legal assistant job opportunities are expected to increase at a much faster proporation than most opportunities through 2014.

With all these good reasons, it only makes good logic that paralegal careers are turning out to be more and more of a hot trend. Want to discover what you would do as a paralegal?

To begin with, paralegals are actually legal assistants. It is a fact that the two words are virtually interchangeable. A paralegal may not offer legal advice. But, they do aid lawyers in virtually every other area of their jobs. A paralegal job description may include helping prepare legal documents, performing imperative legal research, and helping with a lot of an attorney's prep work. They may gain employment in various niches; spanning from IP law to criminal law. It's a fact that currently 70% of all legal assistants gain employment at a law firm.

Currently, you don't need an education or certification in order to gain employment as a legal assistant (except in California). Even though there are no set requirements for a paralegal education, a certification is found desirable by many law firms across the nation. Here are two popular exams that lead to certifications:

Certified Legal Assistant Exam (CLA exam) which is offered by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).

Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) offered through the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).

Since the certifications require you to meet certain specifications in order to take them, you may want to think about an education in paralegal studies. There are many options for those desiring to pursue a specialized education in paralegal studies.

While you can gain a position as a paralegal even without a certification or education, but you may have a more difficult time getting a job and it will likely be for lower pay. Many law firms do seek out those with training and past experience in paralegal work. It will only make finding employment as a paralegal easier if you gain qualifications before looking for your first job.