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Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $32K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $40K
Median Salary: $52K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $67K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $85K
Demand
Core Tasks
Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of case.
File pleadings with court clerk.
Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.
Direct and coordinate law office activity, including delivery of subpoenas.
Call upon witnesses to testify at hearing.
Arbitrate disputes between parties and assist in the real estate closing process, such as by reviewing title searches.
Keep and monitor legal volumes to ensure that law library is up-to-date.
Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Clerical
82%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
English Language
82%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government
79%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Customer and Personal Service
77%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Computers and Electronics
72%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
55%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security
50%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Personnel and Human Resources
45%
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Mathematics
44%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education and Training
43%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Top 10 Skills
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
75%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking
68%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
63%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving
63%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination
60%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making
60%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
60%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Top 10 Abilities
Written Comprehension
83%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
78%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity
73%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Problem Sensitivity
70%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Interacting With Computers
98%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
89%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
84%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Getting Information
84%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
84%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Performing Administrative Activities
84%
Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Documenting/Recording Information
82%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Processing Information
81%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
79%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
78%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Detailed Work Activities
Prepare legal documents.
Evaluate information related to legal matters in public or personal records.
Research relevant legal materials to aid decision making.
Represent the interests of clients in legal proceedings.
Coordinate legal schedules or activities.
Maintain the order of legal documents.
Meet with individuals involved in legal processes to provide information and clarify issues.
Confer with court staff to clarify information.
Arbitrate disputes between parties to resolve legal conflicts.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Letters and Memos
How often does the job require written letters and memos?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Education
Interests
Conventional
81%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative
72%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising
62%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social
29%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic
24%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Realistic
15%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
89%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity
88%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability
85%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
83%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Cooperation
82%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Achievement/Effort
78%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
78%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance
78%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Persistence
77%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Independence
76%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Work Values
Relationships
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
