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I took paralegal classes at City Tech back in the 1990's. The law classes were really interesting. I ended up not completing the program because I was making more as a legal secretary than I ever would have as a paralegal.
I don't think there's much of a market for paralegals these days. So many law firms have downsized. Recent law grads are doing paralegal work. Support staff (paralegals and secretaries) have been laid off.
If you want to become a paralegal you should also look into becoming a project manager as well. The paralegal background will give you an idea of how the system works. The legal industry is in the stone ages, which is where the project management skill set will come in handy to move it forward.
As noted previously paralegals are a dime a dozen in NYC, especially with so many programs that basically are diploma mills churning out graduates.
This is the first year in several that hiring of first year associates (newly licensed attorneys) has had any real numbers. Even so they are still off from historical highs. Long story short law firms are consolidating, going out of business and or having to find ways to reduce costs because clients aren't willing to pay and or have other options.
Legal secretaries and paralegals are being replaced by either technology and or having many of their functions taken over by associates. Again this is because technology has made changes. It is the same thing you are seeing with all manner of office support staff such as secretaries, administrative assistants and so forth. Businesses are either getting shot of them all together in favour or technology and or there are fewer who do more work.
IIRC average wage for a paralegal in NYC is around $50k, which means after taxes you are looking at about $30K real money. That does not include anything taken out such as health insurance, 401K and so forth. That could bring your real take home wages as a paralegal down to near mid-twenties.
Paralegal is heavy paperwork. You just need to know how to maintain documents and not get your mind lost elsewhere pretty much. If you want to learn about the field of law and what not, then why not
In may i had a paralegal as a client and had been doing it for only 8 months and hates it. Is saving all of her money (parents pay for everything) and plans to quite after 3yrs and work as a pet groomer. According to her she realized having a "respectable profession" means nothing once you find out who you are and what really makes you happy. She barely has anytime for personal life and any chance she gets its all about animals.
Good head on her shoulders and happy to see she rather pursue her passion then be a "normal" person.
That is far from what I meant. Paralegal + Project Manager = maybe get a job for a legal support vendor or a corporate legal department. Not necessarily a law firm. Some law firms on the street these days are actually doing very well, and they can't even find enough fully qualified lawyers. And the clients will demand lower rates, which could mean wanting creative paralegals to do associate work and associates doing partner work. Do some research on the eDiscovery field.
Some law firms on the street these days are actually doing very well,
Like Shaevitz and Fitzgerald.
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