Is being a Paralegal a good choice?

I am a student in the University of Miami, trying to finish up and get accepted into a law school (though I am just a 21 year old junior right now) and in need of a job. I came across this information about paralegals and thought :Wow, this just might be a good fit for me!". Unfortunately, I tried doing some web research on paralegal job opennings that are part-time (I;m still a full-time student) and couldn't really seem to find any. Am I looking in the wrong places? Is there even such a THING as a part-time paralegal? How much does one (if it exists) usually make? And lastly, I was looking at an online degree...is this a good idea or not? I mean, will an online degree really matter at all so long as I have the degree?

Thanks in advance to those who answered my questions! I know theres a lot of them, haha.

Ok, cliff notes;

1. Is there such a thing as a part-time paralegal?
2. Is an online degree worth it?

UM Student in Miami Beach, Florida said: I am a student in the University of Miami, trying to finish up and get accepted into a law school (though I am just a 21 year old junior right now) and in need of a job. I came across this information about paralegals and thought :Wow, this just might be a good fit for me!". Unfortunately, I tried doing some web research on paralegal job openings that are part-time (I;m still a full-time student) and couldn't really seem to find any.

As a rule, paralegal jobs are full time because their workloads are full time and more. Attorneys want their paralegals to be at their side the entire work day. For that reason you won't find many P/T paralegal openings.

I don't think an online degree is worth it. You need the best credentials possible to be competitive for the few paralegal openings available. That includes a paralegal certificate from a recognized school. You also need no less than a Bachelor's degree to be competitive.

UM Student in Miami Beach, Florida said: I am a student in the University of Miami, trying to finish up and get accepted into a law school (though I am just a 21 year old junior right now) and in need of a job. I came across this information about paralegals and thought :Wow, this just might be a good fit for me!". Unfortunately, I tried doing some web research on paralegal job opennings that are part-time (I;m still a full-time student) and couldn't really seem to find any. Am I looking in the wrong places? Is there even such a THING as a part-time paralegal? How much does one (if it exists) usually make? And lastly, I was looking at an online degree...is this a good idea or not? I mean, will an online degree really matter at all so long as I have the degree?

Thanks in advance to those who answered my questions! I know theres a lot of them, haha.

It is all about how you sell yourself.

Still a shill, huh, Joel?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Still a shill, huh, Joel?

Man - as soon as I clicked onto that "newyork paralegal blog"
I new it - another shill.

Joel Irving in Lindenhurst, New York said: It is all about how you sell yourself.

You don't know what you're talking about, Joel.

Once again, Joel, tells us about your paralegal experience.

Joel Irving in Lindenhurst, New York said: It is all about how you sell yourself.

You don't know what you're talking about, Joel.

Once again, Joel, tell us about your experience as an employed paralegal.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: You don't know what you're talking about, Joel.

Once again, Joel, tell us about your experience as an employed paralegal.

DLP- Excellent response!

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: You don't know what you're talking about, Joel. Once again, Joel, tells us about your paralegal experience.

Do you mean tell or tells?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: You don't know what you're talking about, Joel. Once again, Joel, tell us about your experience as an employed paralegal.

Why don't you ask me a question about law that only a paralegal or a lawyer would know.

UM Student in Miami Beach, Florida said: I am a student in the University of Miami, trying to finish up and get accepted into a law school (though I am just a 21 year old junior right now) and in need of a job. I came across this information about paralegals and thought :Wow, this just might be a good fit for me!". Unfortunately, I tried doing some web research on paralegal job opennings that are part-time (I;m still a full-time student) and couldn't really seem to find any. Am I looking in the wrong places? Is there even such a THING as a part-time paralegal? How much does one (if it exists) usually make? And lastly, I was looking at an online degree...is this a good idea or not? I mean, will an online degree really matter at all so long as I have the degree?

Thanks in advance to those who answered my questions! I know theres a lot of them, haha.

If you get accepted to a law school, great. Whatever you do, if you decide that law school is too difficult and quit part way thru, DO NOT become a paralegal instead. I saw several law students in LA do this - law school is too stressful for them so they quit and do paralegal work instead, which the end up hating. Any nonlawyer profession in the legal industry is a crappy job to have. My advice is to finish law school and become an atty. If you quit before finishing, then my advices is to consider a career in a totally different industry altogether, completely unrelated to law.

FightBack in I am the real FightBack, New York said: Do you mean tell or tells?

"Tell." I corrected my typo on my following post.

The comment wasn't directed to you, Joel W., but to another Joel. But thanks anyway for stopping by.

dh in Northern CA, California said: If you get accepted to a law school, great. Whatever you do, if you decide that law school is too difficult and quit part way thru, DO NOT become a paralegal instead. I saw several law students in LA do this - law school is too stressful for them so they quit and do paralegal work instead, which the end up hating. Any nonlawyer profession in the legal industry is a crappy job to have. My advice is to finish law school and become an atty. If you quit before finishing, then my advice is to consider a career in a totally different industry altogether, completely unrelated to law.

I agree. Seconded.

FightBack in I am the real FightBack, New York said: Why don't you ask me a question about law that only a paralegal or a lawyer would know.

FWIW. I do find it coincidental that you, Joel W., and Joel Irving are both from NY and are interested in legal matters.

FightBack in I am the real FightBack, New York said: Why don't you ask me a question about law that only a paralegal or a lawyer would know.

Excellent response.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: I agree. Seconded.

I concur.

FightBack in I am the real FightBack, New York said: Why don't you ask me a question about law that only a paralegal or a lawyer would know.

Why - did you think this was a job inerview?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: FWIW. I do find it coincidental that you, Joel W., and Joel Irving are both from NY and are interested in legal matters.

Yeah, I noticed that, too.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: FWIW. I do find it coincidental that you, Joel W., and Joel Irving are both from NY and are interested in legal matters.

I was not hiding my identity. You made the assumption that Joel W and Joel Irving were not one in the same.

You are hiding your identity, Joel, if you post under multiple screennames. Re-read my post, Joel. I wrote that it seemed coincidental that two "Joels" would be posting about legal matters and pushing the same subjects. All it took was a viewing of "Fight Back's" profile to determine that person's name is also Joel.

So, Joel, are you and "Fight Back" the same poster? If so, do you lack the courage of your convictions so much that you need a sockpuppet to "bolster" "support" for them?

That aside, Joel, "Fight Back" or whatever, you wrote to the UM student that getting a paralegal job is all about selling oneself. How do you know that, Joel whatever? Once again, Joel whatever, you don't know what you're talking about because, I think, you've never been employed as a paralegal.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said:

"...That aside, Joel, "Fight Back" or whatever, you wrote to the UM student that getting a paralegal job is all about selling oneself. How do you know that, Joel whatever? Once again, Joel whatever, you don't know what you're talking about because, I think, you've never been employed as a paralegal.

I thought it was entertaining in an odd way that he ask the posters to ask him a legal question?

Joel, do you have a legal question?

kmm in Wilmington, Delaware said: Joel(s), do you have a legal question?

....to ask us?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: ....to ask us?

As in, Can Joel formulate a legal question?" yes, to us.

I wanted to become a paralegal..is there any advice anyone can give me? i read your comments, and honestly they made me rethink my carrer choice.

amy in Ashtabula, Ohio said: I wanted to become a paralegal..is there any advice anyone can give me?

Sure. Choose another vocation. Law, in and of itself, can be interesting, but very arduous and stressful. Your supervisors, who are lawyers, are some of the most difficult people you'll ever meet and even more difficult to work for.

Lawyers will demand your time to the extent that you will have little life. They rarely will thank you for your extra time. Lawyers can be anal and rigid. Anal and rigid is good and necessary for law, but some lawyers take it to the extreme. Litigation lawyers are a especially tough lot. Their world is adversarial, but some forget their legal assistants are on their side and treat them as adversaries. The workload and stress can be enormous.

Consider becoming paralegal if you have rhinoceros skin, titanium nerves and an iron constitution. If you possess these qualities and still want to become a paralegal, at minimum you'll need a two-year college degree and a paralegal certificate. A bachelor's degree and an ABA-approved paralegal certificate are better. Don't waste your money on a Master's in Paralegal Studies or similar program at least one school offers.

Finally, prepare for a long job hunt. Breaking into the legal industry is tough. At least around here, plain and simple, there are few openings, especially for entry paralegals.

Hope that helps.

amy in Ashtabula, Ohio said: I wanted to become a paralegal..is there any advice anyone can give me? i read your comments, and honestly they made me rethink my carrer choice.

Don't make a decision based on what is on this forum. You have to decide for yourself if it is what you want.

You should consider everyone's experience will be different not the same as some of the posts.

T in Toronto, Ontario said: You should consider everyone's experience will be different [and] not the same as some of the posts.

So, what are your experiences in the legal industry?

amy in Ashtabula, Ohio said: I wanted to become a paralegal..is there any advice anyone can give me? i read your comments, and honestly they made me rethink my carrer choice.

You really should rethink your career choice. While I agree that you should not make a big decision such as choosing a career based on what you've read here, Displaced Legal Pro's comments hit the nail on the head. I know from personal experience.

I'm tired of writing the same thing on this forum; so I'm cutting and pasting from another post I wrote last week: "You will not be appreciated regardless of how hard you work. You will work for attys who have big beautiful homes, drive luxury cars, own vacation homes and rental properties, and travel to exotic places for a month. They won't pay you enough to buy your own little condo. It's the atty who will have a lot to show for your hard work, NOT YOU. Attys can't accomplish all that without having a secretary.

Think of the time you put into a profession as an investment because that's what it is, really. You have options where you invest your money. You can put it in a savings account and earn measley (sp?) interest or you can put in a mutual fund and earn higher interest. Which is the wiser choice? Well, my opinion is that being a paralegal is not a wise investment of time. It's as bad as stuffing all your money in a mattress. Your return isn't that great, especially not when you consider what the attys expect out of you. It's also dead end because you can't get promoted. I hope you consider instead a career that has advancement opportunities and room for growth because paralegal and legal secretary don't have that."

And if you happen to have time on your hands:
www.indeed.com/forum/job/legal-secretary/legal-secretary/t51575

amy in Ashtabula, Ohio said: I wanted to become a paralegal..is there any advice anyone can give me? i read your comments, and honestly they made me rethink my carrer choice.

I agree that you should not make that kind of decision based on what's on this forum. Do you know any paralegals or legal secretaries? Network and ask around. Don't ask a paralegal vocational school to refer you to someone because they would be biased. In California, my understanding is that paralegal/legal secretarial schools have a hard time getting enough enrollees because of lack of interest, apparently because it's more common knowledge now that this is a bad industry in which to work.

Network. Find some nonlawyer legal professionals who have been in the industry a while and interview them. I don't know anything about Ohio, but if you were to do that in LA or Orange County (or anywhere in Southern CA), they would tell you to consider another line of work.

dh in Northern CA, California said: If you get accepted to a law school, great. Whatever you do, if you decide that law school is too difficult and quit part way thru, DO NOT become a paralegal instead. I saw several law students in LA do this - law school is too stressful for them so they quit and do paralegal work instead, which the end up hating. Any nonlawyer profession in the legal industry is a crappy job to have. My advice is to finish law school and become an atty. If you quit before finishing, then my advices is to consider a career in a totally different industry altogether, completely unrelated to law.

All legal jobs outside of being an attorney are not crappy! At least mine is not. I get paid to sip martinis and dance with the stars. My boss, an attorney, says I need a job like yours.

KuKluxKlan in Columbus, Ohio said: All legal jobs outside of being an attorney are not crappy! At least mine is not. I get paid to sip martinis and dance with the stars. My boss, an attorney, says I need a job like yours.

Sipping martinis and dancing with the stars... I bet that's not all you're doing. LOL!!

so its not worth going to a 9 month course on paralegal studies?

No!!!!

dp. in Moreno Valley, California said: so its not worth going to a 9 month course on paralegal studies?

I concur - Not in tadays;s economy, which will be next year's economy in terms of jobs....Be a nurse, an engineer..whatever is moving in the economy

dp. in Moreno Valley, California said: so its not worth going to a 9 month course on paralegal studies?

Look for start- up companies in the "energy" industry...where money is being made..

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: Look for start- up companies in the "energy" industry...where money is being made..

What does an energy company do? Are you talking solar perhaps? Thanks in advance.

Niche in Biloxi, Mississippi said: What does an energy company do? Are you talking solar perhaps? Thanks in advance.

Do not know specifically..you would have to do your homework.

I know someone in the energy field, self-employed...Last year was a great year for him...THis year going good, strong..that is all I know.

dh in Californis said " Well, my opinion is that being a paralegal is not a wise investment of time. It's as bad as stuffing all your money in a mattress. Your return isn't that great, especially not when you consider what the attys expect out of you. It's also dead end because you can't get promoted. I hope you consider instead a career that has advancement opportunities and room for growth because paralegal and legal secretary don't have that."

"Especially what the attorneys expect of you." Some are fair...some are unrealistic in their expectations...

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: Do not know specifically..you would have to do your homework.

I know someone in the energy field, self-employed...Last year was a great year for him...THis year going good, strong..that is all I know.

Thank you. I will do my homework. Your statement inspires the idea of, just like fashion, I wonder if some jobs are just trends, you know? That's interesting. I think it's good to find a job/career with staying power, but sometimes you can't tell.

Niche in Biloxi, Mississippi said: Thank you. I will do my homework. Your statement inspires the idea of, just like fashion, I wonder if some jobs are just trends, you know? That's interesting. I think it's good to find a job/career with staying power, but sometimes you can't tell.

My opinion is that any non-lawyer profession is a BAD MOVE at any time regardless of the economy.

T in Toronto, Ontario said: Don't make a decision based on what is on this forum. You have to decide for yourself if it is what you want.

You should consider everyone's experience will be different not the same as some of the posts.

I say, the person intersted in being a paralegal should do the homework and check the paralegal jobs posted in newspapes, etc [direct hires only] and see if said person thinks there are jobs for newbes.