Alternative Paralegal Careers
As technology, levels of assignment, more acceptance of Paralegals, client demand, etc. changes, so does the role of the Paralegal. Gone are the days when the job description of a Paralegal professional fit neatly into a box. Traditional titles and duties are expanding into a faded memory and more Paralegals are experiencing burnout causing them to seek other careers they may pursue with a Paralegal degree. We have attempted to put together information that will help to shed light on this subject. Do you have an alternative career suggestion, feel free to contact us and let us know about it.
| Freelance Paralegal: One of the more obvious alternatives to working as a traditional Paralegal within a firm or corporation would be to branch out on your own and market your services to attorneys. Moyer Paralegal Services is a great example of one Paralegal who has done just that. Dave Moyer offers freelance Paralegal services in the areas of Bankruptcy, Unemployment, Workers’ Compensation, Small Claims, Social Security Disability Appeals, Living Wills and much more. |
| Legal Sales: Most legal vendors realize by now that Paralegals are the “go to” person in the law firm/corporation and secondary to this, these companies often hire Paralegals to work as Account Executives. Not only do Paralegals have first hand knowledge when it comes to using the vendor’s products/services, but Paralegals can relate to other Paralegals much better than someone with just a sales background. CanopyLegal, LLC is an example of an Intellectual Property Paralegal (Lyza Sandgren) who branched out on her own to offer intellectual property software sales and training services. |
| Mediators: Because Paralegals have extensive knowledge of law and the legal process, they make wonderful mediators. Most train at dispute resolution centers and work for an established service prior to branching out on their own. Mediation Now was started by Paralegal Catherine M. Schultheis who has been running the same since 1989. |
| Legal Recruiters: Paralegals make great legal recruiters! Most have been through the recruiting process and understand first hand how draining it can be. Again, they also relate to other Paralegals who are going through the process and can offer mentoring and interviewing advice. |
| Private Investigator: It is amazing how many Paralegals seem to have similar innate qualities – one of which is a keen sense of intuition and tenacity when it comes to fact finding and investigating. For this reason, they make exceptional private investigators. Jason K. Jensen is a certified Paralegal and owns Jensen Private Investigations, a firm specializing in criminal defense and civil litigation investigations. |
| Legal Marketing: With the growth of social media on the internet, many large and mid-size firms have sought to find ways to cut their outsourcing expenses by establishing their own in-house marketing departments. The members of the marketing team may range from an Art Director to a PR Executive. |
