Law and Paralegal Studies

A Bachelor of Laws and Paralegal Studies opens many doors to many career opportunities, including, but not limited to, a paralegal – one of a lawyer`s most valuable resource. The Bachelor of Science in Law and Paralegal Studies at the University of Cincinnati Online provides you with the in-demand skills you need to increase your responsibilities and income at the beginning or advancement of your legal career. Our program is 100% online with no campus visits required and approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). While the main employers of paralegals are private law firms, there are also employment opportunities with government agencies, including district attorneys, and various other employers. In addition, the program may be very suitable for students who are considering other law-related careers, such as: Careers in Law Enforcement, or who are looking for a broad and practical knowledge of law for its own sake. Paralegals can perform a wide range of legal preparation tasks as well as administrative and clerical tasks. Legal secretaries usually only perform clerical tasks. Another important difference between paralegals and legal secretaries is that paralegals typically have an associate`s degree or higher, whereas legal secretaries in most states can only work with a high school diploma. Because of these differences, paralegals generally earn more than legal secretaries. Lawyers may appear before judges at hearings, select and introduce jury members, or hear witnesses. Paralegals cannot do any of these things.

Paralegals do most of their work behind the scenes, preparing documents and researching a case. Supervising lawyers are responsible for the paralegal`s work, which provides some protection in the event of a negative outcome. Lawyers are also allowed to sign legal documents and set fees, unlike paralegals. Our program is constantly receiving requests for excellent paralegals. Please join our private LinkedIn group „UC Clermont Paralegal Program” or „UC Clermont Paralegal Alumni” to receive updated messages exclusively for our students. The employment of paralegals and paralegals is expected to increase by 8% from 2014 to 2024. Whether you`re trying to compare potential future careers or you`re just curious about who`s who in the legal system, you`ve come to the right place. We`re here to compare paralegals to lawyers and highlight the differences in salary, career prospects, job responsibilities and education required for each. The field of paralegals is one of the fastest growing labor markets, with lawyers increasingly relying on paralegals as U.S. law becomes more complex, especially those with academic experience. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegal employment is above average, with a projected growth rate of 12% through 2030.

The labour market for law school graduates has undergone major changes in recent years. The National Association for Law Placement (NALP), an organization that studies and tracks law school outcomes, found that 67.7 percent of law school graduates surveyed held positions requiring a state bar exam in 2016.2 The good news for aspiring lawyers is that there has been some market correction since then. In 2019, NALP found that 76.2% of law school graduates in 2019 held jobs that required lockdown.3 While this is a significant improvement, it comes with a caveat: the pool of graduates was smaller overall.3 Whatever role you envision in the legal field, you can always opt for paralegal studies. Because no matter where you want to take your future in the legal field, it is certain that you will get a good introduction to the field as a paralegal. The median annual salary for lawyers in 2020 was $126,930, more than double the median salary of $52,920 for paralegals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.1 This wage gap is large, but it`s only part of the equation. Our undergraduate law programs are designed as legal proof of employment. They prepare you to work as a paralegal in a law firm, head office, government agency or other offices that work with the law. You can even work during school: we offer day and evening classes that give you the opportunity to take classes at times that suit you best. You`ll also have access to the world-class library at Suffolk University School of Law. Since law school is a long and arduous process, some students begin their legal careers by obtaining a paralegal certificate, with the opportunity to pursue law studies thereafter. In short, paralegal studies courses can be practical, the kind that immediately prepares the student for most practical issues related to the paralegal field. Some of these may include research, writing and various other administrative skills typically delegated by lawyers to paralegals.

UC`s online law and paralegal program is one of the first programs of its kind approved by the American Bar Association. On the other hand, the BLS predicts that the employment of paralegals will increase by 10% between 2019 and 2029.1 The BLS explains that part of this demand is driven by large law firms and companies looking to reduce their legal fees, so they have hired paralegals to do a higher percentage of legal work.1 With this change, some of the legal work, which in the past would have been the domain of young professionals, now on the plate of paralegals. This trend also extends beyond law firms. Large companies are turning to staffing their own in-house legal departments to save the high cost of using outside lawyers. To learn more about the differences between law and paralegal studies, read on by exploring the similarities and differences between the two. Law studies involve learning various interdisciplinary programs related to law and how law works, and they are not only acquired theoretically, but can also be practical – how they relate to society and how they can be shaped by different forces.