Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Virginia

Re: Paralegals

You certainly don't have to take the bar or be

a member of the bar. You do not have to have a

certificate.

Law firms have widely different ideas of what a

paralegal is. It can be anything from a secretary in a law firm with a fancy title, to

a very experienced legal professional who works

closely with a lawyer on very involved legal

matters. They may draft pleadings for an

attorney's review, organize legal files, and

prepare lots of different legal actions for the

attorney's signature, coordinating schedules with

various courts, etc.

Usually, an important skill is scheduling, because a busy law firm has dozens if not hundreds of things happening every week and it is very important not to miss a deadline or a

court date.

Salaries, too, can range dramatically. Some

paralegals are paid just like secretaries.

Experienced paralegals, however, can earn more

than entry-level attorneys.

A paralegal certificate is not required, but it

is very helpful. It will help if you find out

from some law firms (maybe talk to the

paralegals) which paralegal training progams

are respected most by law firms. Unfortunately,

I don't know myself.

Because the length of time to get qualified is

vastly less than being an attorney, yet the

salary can be very good, many people think that

being a paralegal is a better plan than being a

lawyer. THat is, you start earning money fairly

quickly after you start some training. And you

start working without carrying student loans of

maybe $100,000 that need to be paid off.

Re: Paralegals

There is little if any regulation of who can be a "paralegal" in Va., but they cannot give legal advice or prepare legal documents except under the supervision of a licensed lawyer.