Paralegal Blog

The emphasis on experience in the paralegal profession is a significant factor in job placement and career advancement. The good news: it is possible to demonstrate your ability to perform well in a legal role even if you are just out of paralegal school and have no direct law firm experience. Many factors will impact success in getting hired, but paralegals new to the field can make themselves attractive to attorneys and hiring managers in a number of ways:

Want to enhance your resume?  Most employers expect their paralegals to be notaries and trust they know what they are doing!  Do you know the various roles and responsibilities of a Notary Public?

This seminar, which is open to students, alumni, and the general public, covers everything you need to become and serve as a Notary Public for the state of Texas. 

The paralegal profession relies heavily on communication. Writing competency for those who enter the profession is essential. Paralegals gather information and prepare a wide range of documents required to support, verify and complete a variety of legal transactions. Everything they draft - every correspondence they send - must be specifically tailored in a comprehensive and informative way that leaves no room for misrepresentation.

Law firms place a high value on writing skills when hiring paralegals, so it is common practice for a writing test to be requested during the interview phase. A writing test will typically measure a candidate’s ability to:

Center for Advanced Legal Studies would like to thank Amanda DeVincenzo of DeVincenzo Consulting for her wonderful presentation on September 4, 2018 regarding the many opportunities to work as virtual and freelance paralegals. CALS would also like to thank Crystal Cornett and Paralegal's Connect for helping organize and present this seminar. Thank you Crystal and all the members of Paralegal's Connect who attended. 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

One measure of success is the ability to do meaningful work with a lasting impact. A paralegal career gives countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of many people. The role of the paralegal in the legal field often directly intersects with individual lives, local communities, and even the future direction of the law.

When we think of paralegals who changed the world, most people are familiar with the work of Erin Brockovich in spearing the effort to help those affected by contaminated water, or the whistleblowing activities of Merrell Williams in bringing down the deceptive practices of the Tobacco industry. Yet, the day to day work of countless, unsung heroes is a common theme in the paralegal profession.