Explore
Litigation & corporate
Paralegal
Doing the legal work without the law degree or the liability.
Typical pay
$48k-$85k
How you get in
Certificate or associate degree, 6 months to 2 years
Outlook
Steady; corporate and compliance roles growing
Paralegals draft documents, manage discovery, research and keep cases organized. Litigation is deadline-driven and document-heavy; corporate and transactional work is calmer and more procedural.
A day in the life
- 8:30aCalendar check — court deadlines drive everything
- 9:00aDraft a motion for attorney review
- 11:00aDocument review and discovery production
- 1:00pLunch at the desk during trial prep
- 2:00pClient intake and records requests
- 5:00pFile with the court before the cutoff
How to get in
Paralegal certificate
Duration
6-12 months
Cost
$3,000-$15,000
Credential
ABA-approved paralegal certificate
- Complete an ABA-approved certificate program
- Choose a specialty — litigation, real estate, corporate or immigration
- Intern or clerk if the program offers it
- Apply to firms; small firms hire faster, large firms pay more
Associate or bachelor's degree
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$8,000-$120,000
Credential
Degree in paralegal studies or a related field
- Complete a paralegal studies program
- Add a NALA or NFPA certification to stand out
- Target corporate legal departments, which pay above firm rates
- The degree matters more for in-house and government roles
Legal assistant upward
Duration
1-3 years
Cost
$0-$5,000
Credential
None, then a certificate
- Start as a legal secretary or file clerk
- Learn the court rules and filing systems from inside
- Take on substantive drafting as attorneys trust you
- Add the certificate to formalize the title and pay
What people love
- · Into the legal field in under two years
- · No law school debt
- · Corporate and in-house roles pay well
- · Genuinely substantive work
What wears people down
- · Attorney deadlines become your late nights
- · Billable hour pressure at many firms
- · Ceiling without a JD
- · Document review can be numbing