30th Sep 2019

Career Choices in the Legal Field

Typically, when you think of joining the legal field, you think of going to law school and becoming a practicing lawyer. However, there are other options in the legal field if you want to get into that line of work but do not want to be an attorney. These options range in specialty and in required education or certification as well. If practicing law does not float your boat but you want to lend your skills to the courtroom, there is likely another avenue you can go down that will better suit your interests and lifestyle. Read on to discover the different paths you can take should you want to join the legal field professionally.

Paralegal

The first potential career you could have in the legal field is as a paralegal. Paralegals assist lawyers by helping do the tasks that could take up a lot of a lawyer’s time so that they can focus on performing the tasks they are certified to do, such as arguing a case in court. The tasks of a paralegal could include conducting research, drafting court documents, and preparing the lawyer to appear in court. Paralegals are integral to any law office, as they help everything run smoothly. For instance, if a paralegal assists an attorney in Mobile, AL, they may do some preliminary research scans of specific laws in Alabama before they brief the attorney on a case having to do with those laws. 

Lawyer

It is very likely that you are familiar with what a lawyer does. Lawyers can specialize in many different things, such as contract law, tax law, civil rights law, or environmental law. Because of the wide range of cases in the world, lawyers need to have specialized knowledge to argue cases as well as possible. You may make a good lawyer if you love to solve logic puzzles, enjoy heavy research, and are confident in public speaking. Lawyers are also very persuasive, so if you are by nature able to persuade people to see your point of view, you may be cut out for this career.

Legal Secretary

Legal secretaries are also often referred to as legal assistants or administrative assistants. This is a job in the law office that requires keen organizational skills and some more typical secretarial skills, such as answering phones, scheduling meetings, and making copies. Additionally, however, it helps for them to have knowledge and interest in the legal field, in case they are called upon to help the paralegal in the office with a task for an attorney.

Mediator

Being a mediator is an interesting path to follow in the legal field. Mediators conduct alternative dispute resolution, which is a process that comes before a civil lawsuit goes to trial.They do not argue on either side of a case on behalf of a client, and instead facilitate a conversation between two clients to see if their suit can be sorted out in mediation rather than in court. Many mediators have a legal background, but it is not necessary to have a law degree in order to be a mediator.

Court Reporter 

Court reporters sit beside the judge during legal proceedings and transcribe the goings-on in court. They must be quick recorders, which means if you are a strong typist this position may be for you. A benefit of becoming a court reporter is that they do not specialize in any one thing, but instead work for a courthouse where they can hear all kinds of cases. If you love to have variety in your everyday career, you may thrive in this position because of all the different parts of law you will hear about. Plus, court reporting is never the same everywhere. For instance, court reporting in Fort Lauderdale, FL, could be completely different than court reporting in New York.