Have you ever been engaged in a conversation with someone and they ask, “What do you do”?  Well, if you answer, “I’m a paralegal”, other questions arise.  Queries such as, “Do you have to go to court?”  Perhaps, “What is a paralegal?” and “How do you like being a paralegal?”  Or, invariably, (and the interrogatory asked most often), “Why didn’t you become a lawyer?”

When answering, paralegals may tend to resort to a list of typical paralegal skills such as interviewing, drafting documents, and legal research.  While reflective of paralegal skills, these tasks fail to describe higher aspects of a paralegal career and the potential for advancement it holds. Experienced paralegals often perform at elevated levels doing substantive work very similar to the work of a lawyer. This is acknowledged in the National Federation of Paralegal definition of a paralegal:

“…a Paralegal is a person, qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer.  This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work.  Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts.”  (NFPA Definition of Paralegal, 2010)

Then in terms of a career, three things about being a paralegal which transcend skill are the professional attributes, specialization possibilities, and life-long learning a paralegal enjoys in their vocation.  These elements heighten the feeling of belonging in a meaningful, satisfying career path, as well as, exemplify a rewarding, challenging job that evolves accordingly.

First, a paralegal is a professional
Paralegals operate in an environment profoundly composed of learned professionals where decorum, morals, and ethics are premier.  Moreover, professions are characterized by having specific, dedicated organizations, member involvement and governance, and criteria for maintaining current knowledge and practices.  Ethics, licensing, and oversight also play major roles in professions.  To succeed in a profession, a higher level of performance is essential.

Being professionals, paralegals come to their work with a sense of integrity and work ethic which requires studious efforts in consciousness – for being aware of and staying abreast of current knowledge, information, events, practices and standards of responsibility.  As a professional, a paralegal strives to perform at the highest level, overachieving as it were, because the nature of the substantive legal work demands focus and intellectual prowess.

Second, a paralegal has the ability to specialize
Within the legal profession, a paralegal can branch out and explore many different specialty areas.  The ABA has well over twenty sections listed on its website, (not all inclusive) suggesting most specialties (ABA website, 2011).  Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association similarly has several groups, sections, and committees broken out by area of law (RMPA website, 2011).

Consider, moreover, emerging trends and developing law such as social media.  Perhaps technology and intellectual property are the perfect intersection for a social media paralegal.  Even within a specialty area, further strata may exist.  Litigation, for example, might be further subdivided into complex, commercial, civil, and criminal.

Third, a paralegal must continue life-long learning
Whether for sharpness in his or her specialty area of expertise, learning new areas of law, or for maintaining certification credentials, learning must continue.  Paralegals continue with education related to their specialty, ethics, or for the purpose of obtaining an advanced degree, or certification.  Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) credits may account for most paralegals’ education after earning their certification credentials.  As in other occupations, paralegals increasingly seek learning as the primary means to stay competent and to advance.  Currently, certification is the epitome for a paralegal absent any codified regulatory system under which attorneys practice.

The above are three facets in the career of a paralegal.  Any time a question comes up about what a paralegal is or what it’s all about, it presents an opportunity to highlight the professional nature of a legal career, complete with advanced and specialized work in an atmosphere of continual learning and knowledge.

Now, the answers to the other questions at the beginning:

Q: “Do you have to go to court?”

A: “Sometimes, when I have to fight the occasional traffic ticket or risk higher insurance premiums.”

Q: “How do you like being a paralegal?”

A: “I love it!”  “The best part is knowing a lot, but being prohibited from giving advice.”

Q: “Why didn’t you become a lawyer?”

A: “Why didn’t you?”