Legal Field Career

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The Legal Field Careers I chose are Paralegal or Legal Assistant and Mediator. Paralegals or Legal Assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, drafting documents etc. Most Paralegals or Legal Assistants work for law firms and government agencies but they are found in all types of organizations including non-profit organizations. They are an important part of our legal system and their job requires a variety of skills such as being well organized, being able to work under pressure, meet deadlines, be highly trustworthy, discreet and have good judgment. Some of their skills are learned and some are inherent. When working as a Paralegal, their duties include…show more content…
Some Paralegals have Certification or at least an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies while others have a Bachelor’s degree. Having a legal education is very vital to obtaining a job as a Paralegal. Although some employers hire people with no legal experience or education and train them on the job, most of the employers prefer candidates with at least one year of experience in law and at least an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. When one is pursuing a career in Paralegal, having an education in Legal Studies becomes handy because you have acquired the skill sets needed to become a paralegal. Legal education teaches the required skills in being a successful Paralegal such as problem solving and analytical thinking skills etc. This gives a person a better chance of getting hired versus a person with no education or experience in law. Mediator is a career in the Legal Field that is an alternative career. Although there are Mediators who were former lawyers and judges, many of them now are non-lawyers from different backgrounds. A Mediator is another important career given the cost of legal proceedings in court; people seek Mediators to help settle or resolve their legal disputes outside of the courtroom through a process known as alternative…show more content…
A successful Mediator is spontaneous and able to meet their clients’ emotional needs. Being impartial, honest, and patient are also imperative to the mediator’s role. Having a Legal Education supports this job by having the knowledge about what law and regulations apply when dealing with different disputes between people or organizations and what ways to resolve conflict between parties without breaking the law while finding a solution to the problem and come to an agreement that meets the needs of both opposing parties. The Mediator suits my personality more and my past experience. I would be interested in becoming a Mediator more than I would be interested in being a Paralegal. As a former military soldier and leader, I dealt a lot with soldiers having issues with each other or their senior leaders. When a soldier comes to me with a problem, my job was to listen to what they have to say and hear both sides of what happened, think it over, and talk to both parties and try to find ways to resolve the issue before it is taken up to the Commander. The Commander in this case would be the ‘courtroom/Judge’ and I would be the Mediator. Most of the time, I am able to resolve issues at my level before it goes above me, but sometimes some issues

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