Paralegal Blog

Whether you’re interested in a paralegal education or already a paralegal, you may be wondering what jobs are available for paralegals.  What if you are not interested in working as a traditional paralegal?  Are you looking for something different, but don’t know what else you can do with a paralegal certificate or degree?  Here are just a few related jobs that applicants with paralegal training can branch into:

Contracts Administrator  

Do you enjoy reviewing contracts?  A contract administrator makes sure the parties involved practice due diligence and comply with the terms, conditions, rights and obligations of a contract. He or she also coordinates any changes to the agreement that might occur over the course of the contract and performs the closeout process when both parties have met their obligations.  If you loved your Corporate and Business Law class, then this may be an area of interest for you!

As someone who helps graduates find employment, the one question I get asked the most by students is “How am I supposed to gain experience when most employers won’t hire without it?”  Students in all schools face this dilemma when they near completion of their education.  Even students in paralegal programs.  So, how can you gain work experience when no one will give you a chance?

At Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS), students have the opportunity to complete an externship at a law firm or legal department in order to gain experience they can include on their resumes.  But not all schools provide this experience.  If not, don’t get discouraged.  Stay positive and pro-active.  Here are 5 ways you can escape the proverbial Catch-22 between experience and employment.  (Note: this blog post is aimed specifically toward paralegal students/graduates, but can apply to all college graduates!)

Thanks to its recognition as a highly-skilled and hugely helpful profession, the paralegal career is gaining in popularity and becoming more in-demand.  A significant number of people are setting their sights on becoming paralegals because the job is rewarding and the career outlook is sunny.  Many people desire a legal career without the time and cost of law school.  Others desire to use a paralegal career as a helpful stepping-stone to becoming an attorney.

Here are 6 lessons you can learn from someone else who recognized she needed to do something more to expand her career opportunities, engage her interest in the law, and experience online interactive instruction that mirrors the traditional classroom.