What happens to paralegals who don't go to law school or any other graduate programs?

August 30, 2008 11:27 AM

What are some different career paths a paralegal career can take if they choose not to go to law school or any other kind of graduate program?

I work as a paralegal and, though I've been considering graduate school, I may just not go due to financial reasons. I thought perhaps I might just continue being a paralegal. However, I really don't know what being a paralegal can lead to/progress to/translate into, other than continuing being a paralegal.

I really want to make a five year plan for my career, but other than becoming a senior paralegal, I don't really get what else this could lead to. Any thoughts or ideas?

posted by onepapertiger to Work & Money (4 answers total)

Lots of the paralegals at our firm transition into other firm positions (trainers, team leaders, recruiting, marketing, office administration).
posted by dpx.mfx at 1:10 PM on August 30, 2008

I've seen project management positions like this and this while I've been scanning the want ads. I don't know if you still consider those paralegal jobs, but I think there's some room for advancement there.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 5:47 PM on August 30, 2008

You could get certified in either the insurance, banking or financial services field as a regulatory compliance analyst. Cheaper than law school and most companies will pay for it. On the insurance side, take a look at www.loma.org and look at the training programs. The American Bar Association offers banking compliance programs.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 6:20 PM on August 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

Consider the Electronic Discovery field. Plenty of small-to-medium firms look for paralegals with some sort of e-discovery project management experience, to do project management from their end or to join their sales force.
posted by kgb4pl at 3:45 PM on September 1, 2008 [1 favorite]