A business law paralegal, also known as a corporate law paralegal, is an advanced legal assistant who specializes in legal matters that arise in a corporate or office setting. If you would like to work in the paralegal field, you can work as a generalist in various types of law firms or you can choose a specific area of law that interests you the most to focus on. Business law has become a popular choice because the need for legal services in this specialty area never really declines. If you would like to learn more about what you will do as a specialist and how you can go about specializing, read on and learn exactly what you need to know.
What Does a Business Law Paralegal Do Day to Day?
Business can be very complex and filled with different legalities. A law firm that specializes in business law will service various types of small and large business organizations with issues surrounding employment law, contractual agreements, sales, securities, property issues, and commercial compliance. Since this practice area is so broad, you may perform several different tasks each day for the lawyer or the lawyers that you assist each day. Some of the roles that you will play as a specialist may include:
* Drafting legal documents and correspondence sent to clients
* Making filings for Uniform Commercial Code compliance
* Interviewing clients or interacting with other parties involved in case
* Complying with Security of State document filing requirements
* Assistance with mergers, acquisitions and dissolution
* Filing and maintaining case documents
* Keeping up with the progress of cases and scheduling court dates
What Are the Benefits of Specializing As a Paralegal?
There are several generalists who work in the legal environment and never decide to specialize their knowledge or earn a specialist certification. If you want to take your career to the next level, specializing could be the answer. If your goal is to work for a larger law firm that specializes in one specific area of law, you can strengthen your resume and brand yourself by specializing in business law. You can also increase your earning potential when you have a certification that shows that you are an expert in what you do.
How Do You Specialize in Business Law?
Corporate law is one of the highest paid specialties in the field, with the average professional earning approximately $61,246 per year. If you are attracted to this salary and the prospects in this area of law, you should consider pursuing your certification with the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). The NALA offers more than one option for paralegals and legal assistants who want to show off their knowledge base. The best option for potential specialists is the Advanced Paralegal Certification (APC). In order to pursue an APC, you must already be a Certified Paralegal and able to pass the specialist exam.
If you are committed to being a paralegal and you are dedicated to continuing your education with a paralegal program, you may want to earn a certification. You can earn an entry-level or generalist designation, or you can go a step further and earn an advanced designation in one area of law. Make sure you review all of the specialty areas before committing to testing to become a business law paralegal.
