by Elaine BieberlyIf you're interested in working as a paralegal in a particular area of the United States, check the market before you pack.
Although hiring trends are similar across the country, there are subtle differences that could mean you're more marketable in Atlanta than you are in L.A.
An informal survey of recruiters and others involved in the para-legal/legal professions across the country turned up these trends.
"On the west coast, the paralegal profession is viewed as a profession and a career, so most firms require a four-year undergraduate degree and a certificate from an ABA-approved program," said Terri Robinson, national accounts director with Interim Legal Services, Los Angeles.
"We are a traditional city, with a traditional legal community," said Kathy Gedeon Scott, vice president, Templeton & Associates, Philadelphia.
"Most firms require a four-year degree and a paralegal certificate. There are occasions when they'll accept an associate degree and a certificate if the candidate has legal experience, but entry-level positions are difficult to land without a four-year degree," she added.
Dennis Foster, president, Major Legal Services, Inc., Cleveland, echoes that sentiment.
"Because of the number of quality paralegal programs developed recently, most medium to large firms now look for a bachelor's degree and a certificate. It's becoming more the rule than the exception," he contends.
Foster said that smaller firms, which also pay less, may be open to anyone who has a certificate. "However, people with just a high school diploma and a certificate may have difficulty finding work, except perhaps in a one-person office. People with associate degress may have more opportunities, but they're still limited to small firms," he added.
Representatives in three cities--Baltimore, Toronto, and Kansas City--hedged their bets by saying firms are split right now. "Some require a degree and a certificate; some just want the certificate," said Mary Knotts, paralegal placement director with Baltimore's Special Counsel.
Anita Tebbe, an attorney who serves as facilitator for the Johnson County Community College Paralegal Program in Overland Park, Kansas, said both backgrounds are very employable in the Kansas City area.
The distinction is in large firms, which often require both the four-year degree and the certificate. "Of course like any profession, the more education you have, the more employable you are," she added.
The paralegal certificate seems optional only on the east coast. "In Washington, DC, it's not vital to have the certificate. Although it certainly doesn't hurt, it's not a major benefit," said Bryce Arrowood, president, LawCorps
Several recruiters, including Arrowood, speculate that in the east, it's more common for fledgling attorneys to serve as paralegals for a year or two after graduation. "Paralegal work is viewed by some as a career path; a means of getting experience that leads to another job," Arrowood said.
Karen Pordum, an attorney and executive director for the Wallace Law Registry, headquartered in Hartford, CT, sees things a little differently.
Pordum splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, DC, and contends there's no difference in attitude across the country about paralegal work as a career path. "Big firms will always hire terrific people right out of college to use as paralegals before they move on to another career as an attorney."
While the paralegal certificate is usually required in Los Angeles, on the east coast, it's just not as important, she added.
"What they all want is experience," said Baltimore's Knotts.
"Nationally, the trend is to push work down to the lowest cost provider," Pordum said. "For some tasks, really good paralegals are more useful than junior attorneys, just because they have a lot of experience. I always needed that really great paralegal by my side!"
"We look for a lot of people with three to five years' experience," said Sharon Davis, vice president for Templeton's Denver office.
"We handle a lot of temporary work, and of course those employers always want experienced people. At the entry level, paralegals are usually more highly supervised by more senior paralegals," Davis said.
"Because paralegals in our area often become attorneys, the market for paralegals with two to four years litigation experience is tremendous," Arrowood said. "Bigger firms, especially, look for experience, and they're willing to pay more to get someone who can hit the ground running."
Camille Urbaniak, division director, The Affiliates, Palo Alto, Calif., sees a similar demand for mid-level experience. "The market is phenomenal for people with three to six years experience," she said.
"Entry level positions have been very difficult to find, although they're also starting to open up, simply because employers can't find experienced people," she added.
"At the entry level, most firms would prefer a student who's had an internship in a law-related environment," noted Pat Hicks, manager of a large Toronto law firm and LAMA president. "That kind of experience means they've at least been exposed to a business culture of some type."
Volunteer work with the DA or part-time student work in an attorney's office are other ways to build experience.
For people who lack experience and can't find a full-time job, Arrowood suggests working as a temp as a way to build your skills and your resume. "Many times you can get your foot in the door as a temp, when you wouldn't be asked to come based on your resume."
"In the past two years, that part of the market has grown significantly, with 20 to 30 percent of our temps making the switch to permanent employment," Arrowhead continued.
"We never get requests for generalists," Urbaniak said. She reports the hot specialties in California are patent and corporate, which are about equally requested. Litigation experience is the next most frequently requested specialization.
Although two recruiters--Foster in Cleveland and Scott in Philadelphia--have different views about the best approach to specialization, both think it's important.
"The practice of law is becoming more specialized," Foster said. "The paralegal who has experience in more than one practice area is more marketable. I encourage paralegals to look for opportunities where they're exposed to more than one area to make them more marketable.
Templeton's Scott says her Philadelphia office looks for specialty areas such as corporate, very complex litigation, intellectual property, employee benefits, real estate, bankruptcy, estates and trusts, medical malpractice/product liability. "We rarely get a request for a general practice paralegal," she said.
"However, most schools only offer general practice programs, so paralegal students need to make a personal decision to focus on one or two areas of greatest interest--I recommend one. That may require getting additional materials from the law library, for example, to further your abilities in the chosen area."
Scott suggests paralegals take CLE courses and attend educational conferences presented by local paralegal associations as other ways to enhance training and stay current. Practicing paralegals who discover a particular interest after they complete their certificate may find some schools offer specialized courses that meet their needs, too.
"You can also identify employers in your area--through the local legal directory or Martindale-Hubble--who specialize in your areas of interest. That way, when you get your first job--with one of those firms--you get experience in your area of interest. You also further enhance your future marketability.
"The point is, you need to stay focused--specialized--to make yourself more marketable," she concluded.
"You need to know word processing, such as Microsoft Suite, a spread sheet and a presentation program" she added. "You also need to know some kind of data base, such as Summation or Access. I can't say enough about how important computer skills are for paralegals."
Others agree.
It's absolutely essential that paralegals be computer literate with basics such as Windows and Word Perfect," Scott said.
"Even though you may have secretarial support, today, everyone is drafting their own documents. The yellow pad approach just isn't relevant anymore," she added.
"Across the board, it's safe to say computer skills are becoming much more of a requirement," said Robinson.
In Los Angeles, requests for computer skills start with specific in-house programs, but most employers are flexible. "If you're computer literate, you'll be able to pick up a new program," she added.
Litigation support programs, spread sheets such as Lotus and Excel, Juris, Approach, Lexis-Nexis, and Westlaw are typical of the computer programs employers request. Paralegals are also expected to do on-line research.
The 1995 Paralegal Compensation and Benefits Report produced by the NFPA indicates that 53 percent of paralegals have a starting base salary between $18,000 and $25,000. (A new NFPA report is due out in fall 1997).
Our recruiters report East Coast entry level positions average $23,500 (perhaps double in big firms with overtime) and $23,000 to $30,000 on the West Coast.
The NFPA survey shows people with three to five years experience earn $37,736. According to our recruiters, an East Coast paralegal with two to three years' experience can expect to jump to the mid-30s, while on the West Coast, the same person might earn $32,000 to $35,000.
Paralegals with 10 to 12 years' experience earn approximately $38,000, according to the NFPA survey. In contrast, the recruiters say senior-level personnel earn from the low 30s to $50,000 in the East, and $35,000 to $55,000 West; although some specialties, such as the entertainment industry, earn up to $75,000 each year.
Foster contends the Cleveland market has opened up considerably in the past two years. "Right now, it's very active--with more job opportunities than I've seen since getting into the business in 1989."
"Part of that is driven by the fact that business and the economy are good, so law firms and corporations have the work," she contends. "But it's also because more and more firms are realizing paralegals are a very viable option; they're delegating more and more to paralegals.
"Furthermore, clients are more informed about paralegals and the benefits of their work," she contends. "They're more likely to accept, or even demand, that paralegals perform certain functions, because paralegals are more cost effective for those functions."
Foster contends that some corporations even help control their legal costs by specifying to outside counsel the tasks they expect attorneys to perform versus what paralegals should assume.
In Denver, where the market has been very tight, things are also looking up. "In the past year, there's been considerably more activity," Davis said. "It's definitely an improving market, with lots of contractors working quite successfully free lancing services directly to lawyers."
Kansas City's Tebbe is also excited about the employment outlook. "Our placement rate is outstanding. A recent survey of our 1996 grads indicates 82 percent are working in paralegal positions, five percent are in non-traditional positions (a growth area), three percent are pursuing additional education, two percent are unemployed, looking for work, while eight percent are out of the labor force by choice."
"Go after more responsibility and you'll get more salary, too," he added.
If you want to take charge of your career path, you have to be up on the most recent technology, Pordum said. "Look at the business world, see what's needed, take courses to make yourself more marketable, and if necessary, be able to reconfigure yourself to meet potential employers' needs."