What It Takes to Become a Paralegal – 5 Requirements to Fulfill

If you love to organize, want to work in law, and are willing to get your feet wet in the legal field before moving into other areas, then here are five requirements that will help you become a paralegal.

5 Requirements to Fulfill to Become a Paralegal

1. You Need to Be Dedicated

Being a paralegal can be extremely hectic and stressful. You’ll have multiple projects going on at the same time. Some of these assignments will be easy, and others will be difficult, and you’ll likely have to help your attorney figure out what is important and what isn’t. 

If you want to become a paralegal so that you can get away from work for extended periods, then this is not the career for you. Instead, you have to be dedicated and love what you do.

2. You Need to Have Good Listening Skills

Paralegals need to stay on top of all their attorney’s projects. You will need to pay close attention during discussions and meetings. Once the decision has been made, you’ll need to follow through with it immediately without hesitation. You must be able to listen and learn from your attorney if you want to become a paralegal. 

As a paralegal, you’ll need to be able to communicate clearly and concisely so that your attorney understands what you’re saying. This applies even when you’re on the phone.

3. You Need to Learn to Work Well with Others

It can be difficult for lawyers in general, but especially for attorneys in the courtroom. You’ll likely be working with several different individuals when you become a paralegal. Each will have their way of doing things, and they might not always align with how you do things. 

Therefore, if you want to become a paralegal, you need to work well with others. You’ll need to discuss the details and discuss the plans with each attorney every single time you’re working on a new project.

4. You Need to Know How to Type Fast

One of the most important skills for a paralegal is typing fast. Since you will become your attorney’s main point of contact, you’ll be typing up all of his legal briefs, motions for discovery, and court filings. If you can’t type quickly, this is not the career path for you. 

Instead, you need to work on your typing skills until you can type at least fifty words per minute. You’ll also have to learn how to use the computer, especially Word and Outlook.

5. You Need to Be Detail Oriented

Being a paralegal can give you an appreciation for what they do in the courtroom. Unfortunately, they also deal with a lot of paperwork that can be overwhelming to read through. 

You will spend most of your time reading through legal briefs and motions. Also, You’ll need to find important statements or arguments while filtering out statements that aren’t important. So if you want to be a paralegal, you need to be detail-oriented about paralegal education, and trusted spheres like ParalegalEDU.org can be a good place to begin your professional journey.

Conclusion

These are just five of the many requirements to become a paralegal. If you want to work as a paralegal, you’ll need to be dedicated and learn to work well with others. Although it will be difficult at times, there is also a sense of satisfaction in helping people.