Most college graduates working as paralegals have an associate's degree in paralegal studies or a bachelor's degree, coupled with a certificate in paralegal studies. As another class graduates and many paralegals are looking for employment due to the state of the economy, I thought it would be an appropriate time to talk about where paralegals can find employment.

There are a variety of places and many areas of law that a paralegal can seek employment in. Of course there is the traditional role that paralegals have in a law firm. Even within law firms, there are different areas of law, such as litigation, estates and trusts, real estate, bankruptcy and corporate law. There are some instances where a paralegal may have other degrees or certifications that enable them to take on very specialized roles, for example a nurse paralegal or a registered patent agent.

In this economy, many law firms are contemplating ways to cut costs and increase profitability. Paralegal employment is projected to grow much faster than average as employers try to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers.

The positions for paralegals even in a law firm have changed over the years. There are an increasing number of paralegals who also take on the responsibility of managing paralegals within a department of a large firm. Also, many firms now employ litigation-technology specialists who manage electronic-discovery issues for the firm.

There are many other employment options for paralegals. Many government agencies employ paralegals. Some examples of this are in the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee's office, the state Attorney General's office and even investigative agencies such as the FBI.

Also, corporations hire paralegals in their legal departments. Paralegals may have a variety of duties, which could include monitoring litigation cases, cooperating with and assisting outside counsel, filing corporate documents with various state agencies and the Security and Exchange Commission, and reviewing and drafting contracts, all under the supervision of general counsel.

Title companies employ paralegals to review and draft documents, do research and attend closings. Many appellate printers now employ paralegals who specialize in appellate procedures and can assist law firms that are filing appeals.

Some paralegals become independent contractors and work as consultants for law firms or corporations. Other paralegals utilize their skills and training as investigators.

The Western New York Paralegal Association has a job bank that lists job openings in the Western New York area. Law firms and corporations are welcome to post job openings on WNYPA's Web site by contacting the job-bank coordinator, Barb Wiebel, at 887-8644. Members can access the job bank on the WNYPA Web site.

By Beth Bialis, WNYPA director of public relations/marketing and NFPA primary pepresentative, who is also litigation paralegal coordinator at Hodgson Russ LLP