Paralegal

[boognish]

This is a bit of a follow-up to the law school thread.

I've always been interested in law, but have trepidation about law for the usual reasons (cost, job market, quality of life, commitment).

What do you folks think about nabbing a paralegal certificate?

My current job is boring, pay isn't great and it's not terribly stable. I'm not committed to the industry and don't have specific qualifications for it (sort of fell into it after college).

I could do a paralegal program at a local university in the evening. Their website estimated a 7k cost (I could easily afford) and that it would take 1 to 1.5 years to complete.

This could allow me to get a taste of law (relatively inexpensively and without a massive commitment) while offering me an escape route if my current job doesn't work out or becomes unbearable. I genuinely enjoy learning and think completing the program would be fun. Also, am I wrong in that it could be a stepping stone to potentially earn a JD at a later date?

Is paralegal work horribly mundane with grunt work?

Any feedback is appreciated!

[Rekon]

This is a bit of a follow-up to the law school thread.

I've always been interested in law, but have trepidation about law for the usual reasons (cost, job market, quality of life, commitment).

What do you folks think about nabbing a paralegal certificate?

My current job is boring, pay isn't great and it's not terribly stable. I'm not committed to the industry and don't have specific qualifications for it (sort of fell into it after college).

I could do a paralegal program at a local university in the evening. Their website estimated a 7k cost (I could easily afford) and that it would take 1 to 1.5 years to complete.

This could allow me to get a taste of law (relatively inexpensively and without a massive commitment) while offering me an escape route if my current job doesn't work out or becomes unbearable. I genuinely enjoy learning and think completing the program would be fun. Also, am I wrong in that it could be a stepping stone to potentially earn a JD at a later date?

Is paralegal work horribly mundane with grunt work?

Any feedback is appreciated!

My wife was in the same boat as you.  She got an entry level position as a legal secretary then decided she liked it and later obtained her paralegal certificate and got a better paying job.  7k seems a little high for a paralegal certificate.  My wife got it for a lot less at a community college (approx. 2k).  Have you looked into your local colleges?

[mpg350]

I would look into the Insurance field instead.   You don't have to pay for cert and your making the same money
for the most part.  If you get with the right company you can make good money….70k+

[Mini-Mer]

Is paralegal work horribly mundane with grunt work? 

Yes.  Oh yes. 

I like my legal assistant job, but there is a lot of mundane and boring to it.  With grunt work ranging from actual physical labor (locating/organizing/moving boxes, manning a copier, etc.) to correcting the naming convention on hundreds of computer files.  Perfectionism and stress are also notable features.

If you like keeping things organized, correctly punctuated, and on time, then paralegal might be a good fit.  But don't go into it for the glamour of the legal field.