Information about the Paralegal Industry

For years, the paralegal profession has ranked among the fastest growing of all professions in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor emphasized the following significant points when describing the paralegal profession in the 2008-09 Edition of their Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, as employers try to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers.
Most entrants have an associate degree in paralegal studies, or a bachelor’s degree coupled with a certificate in paralegal studies.
About 7 out of 10 work for law firms; others work for corporate legal departments and government agencies.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics goes on to state that "paralegals and legal assistants held about 238,000 jobs in 2006," and that "despite projected rapid employment growth, competition for jobs is expected to continue as many people seek to go into this profession." If you are thinking about obtaining a certificate in paralegal studies, you are on the right track. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best employment opportunities" in the paralegal field.

Projected growth by occupation estimated by Bureau of Labor Statistics

Figure 1- projected growth by occupation estimated by Bureau of Labor Statistics

As Figure 1 demonstrates, the paralegal field is growing “much faster than the average for all occupations” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, “employers are trying to reduce costs and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services by hiring paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers. Paralegals are performing a wider variety of duties, making them more useful to businesses.”

Learn more about the average salary for paralegals on our career changers page