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The
legal profession is exploding with job opportunities for legal assistants,
also known as paralegals, who assist attorneys in their everyday
practice. Originally, paralegals were clerical assistants to lawyers,
but today, they are trained as professional specialists who perform
many of the same substantive legal tasks as an attorney. The attorney
must supervise their work, and they cannot give legal advice, negotiate,
set fees, or represent clients in court.
The U.S. Department
of Labor has predicted that the paralegal field will be one of the fastest growing careers of the 21st century. The demand for
paralegals in the corporate sector has opened new doors of opportunity
and increases the competition with law firms for qualified candidates.
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Salaries
depend on education, experience, and area of specialization. In
a recent national study conducted by the Paralegal Today magazine,
the average salary reported in Florida was $40,000. Paralegals with
expertise in specialty areas and paralegals supervisors have reported
higher incomes both at the local and national level. |
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