Job Opportunities: What is the outlook for Paralegals?

In these rough economic times, many college grads may wonder if the profession they have chosen to pursue will be secure. For paralegals, the future is looking bright! According to the National Employment Matrix, the need for paralegals and legal assistants is expected to rise by 22% in the next decade. This is much higher than the average for all other occupations.
One reason for this increase is because companies are attempting to reduce costs and increase efficiency by delegating many tasks to paralegals that were once performed by lawyers. Paralegals are performing a wider variety of duties, making them a great asset to companies. There is also an increased need for legal services in the areas of intellectual property, healthcare, international law, elder issues, criminal law and environmental law. Prepaid legal plans may also add to this increase.
Private law firms continue to be the largest employer of paralegals, but other types of businesses are also showing an increased need for these services. These include corporate legal departments, insurance companies, real estate and title insurance companies, and banks. Many corporations are expected to increase the use of paralegal services, in order to cut costs. As these and other companies look for new ways to increase productivity, the need for paralegal services will also increase. Below is a chart illustrating the expected growth of job opportunities in the paralegal profession:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm#projections_data







http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm#projections_data