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Paralegals & Legal Assistants

Also called: Paralegal, Law Clerk, Legal Assistant, Legal Clerk

Where in the military? In the military: see titles from the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, or Navy.

What they do:
Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.
On the job, you would:
  • Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
  • Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
  • Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Safety and Government
  • law and government
Business
  • administrative services
  • customer service
Engineering and Technology
  • computers and electronics

Skills

Basic Skills
  • reading work related information
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
  • order or arrange things
  • group things in different ways

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cooperation
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Initiative
  • Independence

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat software
  • LexisNexis HotDocs
Information retrieval or search software
  • American LegalNet USCourtForms
  • Fastcase
Data base user interface and query software
  • Bridgeway eCounsel
  • LexisNexis CodeMaster

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
associate's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training Find Certifications Registered Apprenticeship Eligible for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program

Job Outlook

Average Outlook
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
Salary
$46,990
per year, on average
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about paralegals and legal assistants.