Paralegal Studies

The threat of a deteriorating economy is anever-present concern, so it was heartening to read an article in Long IslandBusiness News dated July 23, 2009 entitled "Midsized LI Law Firms Grow,Buck US Trend." The article provided a comfort  level not only with regard to the Island'seconomy in general, but  specificallywith regard to the present and growing need for highly trained and skilledsupport personnel for lawyers, such as paralegals. 

The article explained that while many big US lawfirms are reducing staff, many small and midsized firms on Long Island are actually "staffing up" in specialty areas. Asseveral national  law firms are foldingor shedding scores of attorneys, major concerns like  Uniondale's Rivkin Radler and Garden City'sMeyer, Suozzi, English and  Kleinactually have found themselves in need of attorneys and support staff in  such areas as bankruptcy and litigation, twodocument-intensive areas where paralegals are critical. 

Small Long Islandfirms like Bohemia's Campolo, Middleton & Associates grew from just twoattorneys to more than seven attorneys and a total of 14 staff members over thecourse of just the past 15 months. Similarly, Picciano and Scahill  of Westbury added two attorneys to their 20member staff just this year. The firm boasts an intensive negligence defenseand no-fault litigation practice. 

In summary, despite all the gloom and doom innuendosregarding the job market, the New York State Department of Labor indicates thatstaffing for legal service providers on Long Island has remained relativelystable. 

Statistics like these concerning our local marketinstill a level of confidence in the providers of educational opportunities forthose pursuing a paralegal career. As more and more Long Islandlaw firms take on more and more attorneys in specific practice area, the needfor highly skilled and trained paralegals in those same areas of law concomitantlyincrease. If the best anecdote for fear is trust, then the reality of the legalservice sector on Long Island should provideassurance that the prospect of career opportunities for paralegals is presentand increasing.

While the overall economy appears bleak, and the specific areas of transaction real estate and long-range financial planning are presently in a state of regression, history bears out that bad times don't last. Our economy is cyclical, and it's only a matter of time before economic stimulus from the public sector reinvigorates growth in the private sector and enhances the value of tradition investment vehicles such as real estate, real estate investment trusts (REITs), stocks and bonds, mutual funds, and the like.

Here at Hofstra, we are presently preparing traditional adult education students for the bright economic future that is just over a definite, if not yet fully defined, horizon. Your intensive training and experience in the legal paraprofessional field renders you highly suited to achieve in the new economy. Don't wait for the future; it'll be here faster than you think. Consider now some of our upcoming offerings; they can position you for success! 

 Real Estate Salesperson Qualifying Course

Title Closing for Beginners

Certified Financial Planner

Notary Public Test Preparation Seminar 

by Chris E. Wittstruck, J.D.

Whether things are going well or badly in the economy, there always seems to be plenty of legal work to go around — often more work than lawyers can handle on their own. More and more, attorneys rely on the services of highly trained and skilled paralegals and legal assistants.

According to the 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 22 percent in the ten years leading up to 2016 — a much greater increase than predicted for most other careers. In 2006 paralegals and legal assistants held about 238,000 jobs. Private law firms employed seven out of 10 paralegals and legal assistants; most of the remainder worked for corporate legal departments and government agencies.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2006 full-time paralegals and legal assistants nationally had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $43,040, with higher earnings in the New York metropolitan area. Moreover, the top 10 percent earned an annual salary of more than $65,000.

With the exceptions of appearing in court and rendering legal advice, paralegals and legal assistants carry out various legal services delegated and supervised by a licensed attorney. These “lawyers’ helpers” are found at the closing tables of major mortgage lenders, research libraries and client interview rooms of law firms, and in just about every government office at the local, state and federal levels.

The paralegal is taught to think as a lawyer thinks – ascertaining fact from fiction, assessing the importance and relevance of information, and applying that information in the best interests of the attorney and client.

While a paralegal does not require professional licensure, a paralegal training program prepares the student with the knowledge and skills to become an integral part of a legal team. The curriculum for a paralegal certificate can often be completed in as little as six months. Evening and weekend course offerings are typical, and internships are often available during matriculation.

Paralegals come from every walk of life. Some choose the paralegal career path during or after college; others train as paralegals as a precursor to law school admission. Many new retirees – including nurses, teachers, uniformed service members and business and labor professionals – embrace the paralegal profession as a second career.

New Hyde Park attorney Chris E. Wittstruck coordinates Hofstra’s Paralegal Studies Program. Mr. Wittstruck is a private practitioner, concentrating in the areas of commercial and real estate litigation, as well as racing and gaming law.