Paralegals are not licensed and always work under the supervision of an attorney. The educational requirements for attorneys and paralegals are different. Paralegals are not subject to professional discipline for example. The lawyer must give ethical guidance and direction to the paralegal. Paralegals are found in all types of organizations, but most are employed by law firms, corporate legal departments, and various government offices. In these organizations, they can work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate.
Paralegals are not lawyers and cannot practice law, but they can represent clients in administrative hearings. For example, a paralegal may represent clients in hearings involving welfare, Supplemental Security Income or unemployment benefits.
Paralegals are always in demand, so no matter what, as a paralegal your career outlook is excellent. Paralegals are also encouraged to perform pro bono work. Attorneys and paralegals can perform pro bono work in homeless shelters, shelters for abused women or shelters for AIDS patients.Lawyers supervise paralegals and legal secretaries and are ultimately responsible to the client for the quality of the legal services delivered. Private practice attorneys make up the vast majority of law jobs with approximately 3 out of 4 lawyers working in law firms or private practice. Most salaried lawyers are found in government or with corporations or nonprofit organizations. About 25 percent work in government jobs, generally at the local level.
Lawyers can make an unlimited income in some areas.