Spring 2007: Needs Assessment Paralegals and Legal Occupations Prepared by: Sunnary T. Adeva Date: 03-20-07 SP07-Paralegal.doc Reviewed By: Jim Fillpot
I. Paralegals, Legal, Attorney Background Information: Paralegals research legal issues and do other background work under the supervision of a lawyer. Paralegals are not licensed to practice law, but help lawyers with their practice. Paralegals perform appropriate law research, prepare legal memoranda to help an attorney decide how the case should be handled, and prepare legal documents and exhibits, file pleadings with the court, obtain affidavits, and help an attorney during the trail or administrative hearings. 1 Paralegals must be able to communicate effectively in writing, speaking, and reading as appropriate for the needs of the audience, have critical thinking and problem solving skills, and must to be able to negotiate. Most paralegals work at desks in law offices and law libraries where they use computers to research rules of law, statues, and cases. II. Employment Outlook: The occupation of paralegals is expected to rank among the top 100 fastest growing occupations in California. Employment of paralegals is expected to grow much faster than average compared with all occupations in California. 2 Competition for jobs should continue, even though there are a large number of graduates from paralegal education programs, employers prefer those with at least three years of experience. Table 1 illustrates the number of estimated and projected employments for paralegals in the 2002-2012 projection period. Employment in paralegals is expected to increase by 28 percent in California. Out of the three counties listed in table 1 San Bernardino County has the highest percentage of projected employment growth in paralegals (35 percent). Job prospects will be best for applicants with a college degree in paralegal or a related field as well as relevant work experience. Employment of paralegals is projected to increase as employers recognize that paralegals do many legal tasks for lower salaries than lawyers. Most job openings will result form new job opportunities as the industry expands. Table 1: Comparison of Employment by State and County State/County Occupation Year Employment Employment Change Annual Openings California Los Angeles Orange San Bernardino Estimated Projected Number Percent 2002-2012 25,600 32,900 7,300 28.5% 940 2002-2012 8,870 11,070 2,200 24.8% 291 2002-2012 4,210 5,450 1,240 29.5% 158 2002-2012 570 770 200 35.1% 25 1 California Occupational Guides - Number 464 Labor Market Information Division 2 Occupational Employment Statistics U.S. Department Bureau of Labor Statistics 2
Table 2 also shows that paralegals have the highest employment growth even when compared to other legal occupations (except lawyers). Table 2: MSA San Bernardino & Riverside County Year 2002-2012 Occupation Paralegal and Legal Estimated Employment Projected Employment Numeric Change Percent Change Total Annual Openings 570 770 200 35.1% 25 2002-2012 Law Clerks 5,200 5,700 500 9.6% 41 2002-2012 Legal Secretaries 1,180 1,480 300 25.4% 53 III. Earning Potential: Tables 3 and 4 illustrate the current wages for paralegal occupations. The highest average salary for legal occupations is for paralegals and legal assistants with a median annual wage of $47,020. According to table 4 the highest average annual salary for paralegals is found in the federal government sector ($59,370). Table 3: San Bernardino MSA Annual Salaries for Paralegal/Legal Assistant Occupations SOC Code Year Occupation 25 th Percentile Wage Median Wage 75 th Percentile Wage 232011 2005 Paralegals and Legal $33,880 $47,020 $61,660 232092 2005 Law Clerks $31,940 $37,290 $51,210 232099 2005 Legal Support Workers $38,000 $44,600 $54,910 Table 4: Average Salary of Paralegals by Industry Job Title Average Salary Federal Government $59,370 Local Government $38,260 Legal Services $37,870 State Government $34,910 V. Education and Training: There are several ways of getting into the paralegal profession. A paralegal can have one or a combination of on the job training, Bachelor s degree, Associate s degree, or paralegal certificate. Increasingly, employers prefer graduates of four-year paralegal programs or college graduates who have completed paralegal certificated programs. 3 Community colleges and four-year institutions offer paralegal courses. Many of the classes are offered in the evenings and afternoon. Schools offer general paralegal training within different areas of law including legal research techniques, introduction to law, estate planning and probate, litigation, income taxes, and family and corporate law. 3 California Occupational Guides - Number 464 Labor Market Information Division 3
VI. Education and Training: (continued) Currently, paralegals are not required to be licensed or certified. However, there are two voluntary certification exams. A paralegal may elect to take either the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) exam or the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE). Candidates that successfully pass the exam and meet the continuing education requirements may use the title, Registered Paralegal (RP). In California, Certified Legal may become certified as a California Advanced Specialist (CAS) by successfully passing a 4-hour exam in a specialty area. 4 Paralegals are required to complete continuing legal education (CLE) courses that are approved by the State Bar of California. Paralegals are also required to complete four hours of legal ethics every three years and four hours of general or specialized legal education units every two years. 4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-2007 4
Figure 1: Map of Paralegal Services *2005 Business Data from Dun & Bradstreet Figure 1 illustrates the locations of all paralegal services in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. The red border outlines the Chaffey College District. According to the map, there is a large cluster of paralegal services that fall within the Chaffey College District. Specifically there is a large cluster of paralegal businesses around the Rancho Campus, the Ontario Center, and the Chino Centers. Out of all the paralegal businesses in San Bernardino County, 44.2 of those paralegal businesses reside within the Chaffey College District. 5