Amanda Paar Conroy
Why join the paralegal field?
Three refelections on why now is a better time than ever to become a paralegal
Paralegals can do many things that lawyers do.
Paralegals are a crucial part of any legal team.
As I started practicing law, I quickly realized the gravity and seriousness of the cases I was handling. Regardless of the perceived designation of a case as a "big" or "small," after consistently interacting with clients, I realized that to each client, the reason they are sitting in my office is most likely one of the top five most important things going on in his or her life. Clients seek legal help in times of need. Perhaps they were discriminated against by their employer, perhaps a loved one died and untimely death as a result of somone's easily avoidable mistake, maybe they are going through a divorce, an eviction, or need assistance in obtaining disability benefits. Whatever the circumstances, lawyers and paralegals handle problems that people encounter, which many times occur at defining moments in that person's life. It is a privilege and tremendous responsibility to advocate for clients, and to do so professionally and ethically.
While giving legal advice is a duty reserved solely for attorneys, paralegals, with attorney supervision, are able to do much of the same work that attorneys do. This work includes:
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Interviewing clients and witnesses;
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Conducting background searches and investigations;
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Completing legal research and memos;
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Writing discovery requests and reviewing discovery responses;
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Drafting pleadings and motions;
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Serving subpoenas;
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Preparing with attorneys and attending hearings, trials, and appellate arguments.
If paralegals can do all of these things, then why not go to law school? There is something to be said these days for not getting into tens of thousands of dollars of debt to go to law school. The job market is saturated with attorneys because firms began hiring fewer attorneys and more paralegals in order to reduce costs for the firms and their clients. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegal employment is projected to grow 17% from 2012 to 2022. This is faster than the average for all occupations. Compare this with the job outlook for attorneys, which is projected to grow 10 percent from 2012 to 2022, at the average rate for all occupations. The BLS states that competition for attorney jobs "should continue to be strong because more students graduate from law school each year than there are jobs available."
I was a math major in unergrad and those statistics are convincing. Now truly is a better time than ever to be a paralegal. Additionally, paralegals do not have to sit for the bar exam, which means that a paralegal career is more mobile than that of an attorney.
I had an amazing time practicing law for eight years prior to joining Kent State's paralegal program. If you wonder why I made the transition, look to the photo on the right. Attorneys are often told that the "law is a jealous mistriss." There is some truth to that saying. The practice of law is not something that can be "shut off;" it is an honor and great responsibilty to be essentially on-call 24/7. Clients have emergencies and in general expect to be able to communicate during evenings and weekends, and of course, deadlines must be met. If that means that you work until midnight, that is what you do. Practing law the right way requires more than fulltime hours in the office.
This lifestyle was not something that I ever even questioned. It was what I signed up to do. That all changed though, when my husband and I had our son. I realized that I saw him for less than an hour in the morning before I left for work, then would return only an hour and a half before his bedtime. I also typically spent at least a half-day in the office over the weekend or working from home. While I still loved my law practice, I realized that the lifestyle was not sustainable for me and my expectations about how I wanted to raise my family. Additionally, I am an only child and am very close to my parents, and I want to be able to spend time with them and be there for them as they get older.
Paralegals have a perfect setting to thrive in the legal field and enjoy the challenge of the work and the reward of helping people. The paralegal lifestyle offers a predictable schedule that eliminates the challenges that I mention above. Any successful law office is a team environment, and paralegals occasionally will need to work evenings and weekends. This, however, is the exception, not the norm.
Leaving my law practice was bittersweet. I worked for an extremely reputable firm, and everyone there is top-notch both on a professional and personal level. I am blessed to have stayed with the firm on an "of counsel" basis, and I still work on projects that are not too time-intensive. For this I am very grateful.
I absolutely love the home that I have found for myself at Kent State. The students and administrators are wonderful people. I have learned so much in my time at Kent so far and am excited to continue building my career here. I love the classroom, whether it be a traditional one or virtual, and I treasure the opportunity to educate future paralegals who share my same passion for the law.
Paralegals generally work a predictable schedule.
