North Carolina Jobs: Paralegal

• Number of North Carolina Paralegals: 9,970

• Median Paralegal Salary: $38,620**

• Length of Paralegal Study: 1 to 4 years

• Almost 75 percent of paralegals work for law firms

• Largest Law Firms in North Carolina:  Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Moore & Van Allen*

Although North Carolina doesn’t have formal paralegal education requirements, many employers require that their paralegals have a paralegal certificate or degree.

Here are the most common education tracks for North Carolina paralegals:

• A paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved paralegal school (online paralegal degrees are another option)

• An associate of arts in paralegal studies

• A bachelor's or advanced degree in another subject, and on-the-job experience working in a law firm

In its 2011 Paralegal Survey, the North Carolina Bar Paralegal Division reported that over 45 percent of its members hold bachelor's degrees and 98 percent are North Carolina certified paralegals.

Below are paralegal salaries for some of the most popular cities in North Carolina.

Although North Carolina does not have formal certification requirements for its paralegals, the North Carolina State Bar Association has established a voluntary North Carolina certification program designed to promote paralegal competency and education standards. Candidates who meet eligibility requirements and pass a certification exam earn the designation North Carolina Certified Paralegal (NCCP).

However, as we've seen, many employers prefer—or even require—certification. You can get national paralegal certification through the following organizations:

• National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
• National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
• American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc. (AAPI)

To maintain national certification, you must complete a certain number of hours of continuing legal education within a specified number of years. Continuing education can include training taken at paralegal schools in North Carolina, at professional organizations, or through bar associations.

Among the career resources and job banks for North Carolina paralegals are the following organizations:

• North Carolina Paralegal Association
• Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association
• North Carolina Bar Paralegal Division
• National Association of Legal Assistants

Also visit your school's career center to look for paralegal jobs in your city. And don't forget to check the websites of law firms and companies you want to work for to find paralegal job openings (Martindale.com).
_{Sources:
**Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011
*National Law Journal
North Carolina Bar Paralegal Division}