What
Is A Paralegal?
A paralegal is a person who works in the legal profession
assisting lawyers in the practice of law. Paralegals
help lawyers in all aspects of the practice of law,
including meeting clients, drafting paperwork, and researching
matters. A Paralegal does not need a college degree.
More information about the paralegal profession can
be obtained from the following local and national associations
of paralegals and legal assistants:
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What
Is The Job Market Like?
There are 1,049,751 lawyers in the United States. In
the District of Columbia alone, there are 40,000 lawyers.
In most offices there are 2, 3, or more paralegals for
each lawyer. Suffice it to say that there is a large
market for paralegals.
A recent trend is that more experienced paralegals are
being hired in management positions at major law firms. Read More on Paralegal Managers
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How
Much Money Do Paralegals Make?
Like any other profession, salaries differ depending
on the quality of the paralegal. That being said, experienced
paralegals in top firms can make upwards of $50,000,
$60,000, or more. Entry-level positions, however, are
less than this. The average paralegal's salary is approximately,
$33,000. Salary
Wizard
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How
Good Is PIW's Faculty?
PIW is a unique paralegal school in that the legal courses
are taught by lawyers, not paralegals. This means that
the quality of education is high! Furthermore, one of
PIW's lead instructors, Wayne Cohen, has received local
and national acclaim as a top trial attorney. He was
recently declared one of the best 50 lawyers in D.C.
by Washingtonian Magazine. He has also been featured
by the Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on Dateline,
The Today Show, and a multitude of other press shows.
Mr. Cohen has been an Associate Professorial Lecturer
of Law at George Washington University School of Law
since 1993, where he currently teaches Trial Skills.
He is also on the Executive Committee of the District
of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association (D.C. branch of
ATLA), is a former Board of Governor of the District
of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, former Chairman
of the Litigation Section of the District of Columbia
Bar Association, and the former chair of the Injury
to Persons and Property Section of the D.C. Bar. Mr.
Cohen is also currently serving a 2 year appointment
(from 9/20/02 through 9/19/04) to the Attorney Grievance
Commission of Maryland, Peer Review Committee. Perhaps
it was the Wall Street Journal in a recent feature article
on Mr. Cohen which most clearly identified Mr. Cohen,
as "brash, aggressive, and enterprising."
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What
Is The Cost?
There are many paralegal schools in the country, so
choosing an appropriate school to attend is an important
decision. First, PIW is able to offer a sophisticated
education at about 50% of the national average for paralegal
schools. Most such schools charge their students between
$7,000 and $15,000. PIW, by contrast, costs $3,000.
Isn't this a worthwhile investment in your future?
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Why
Is PIW Less Expensive Than Other Schools?
PIW has made arrangements with law firms in the District
of Columbia such that the firms will offer conference
rooms, and faculty, at greatly reduced rates. PIW's
overhead, therefore, is less than other similarly situated
educational facilities. Ultimately, this translates
to reduced fees to our students.
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How
Often Do Classes Meet?
PIW has different class schedules, but there are approximately
32 hours of class. Classes sometimes are concentrated
over a few weeks, and sometimes longer.
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For
appointments, email Cynthia Bogino |
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How
Many Students Are In Each Class?
In order to guarantee personalized training, PIW's classes
always contain fewer than 12 students. This will allow
the instructor to answer individual questions, and will
create an atmosphere for group discussions.
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Will
I Get a Certificate?
Yes! After completing your course requirements at PIW,
you will receive a
paralegal certificate and be a certified paralegal.
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Do Paralegals Have
Good Job Security?
Click
here to read an article on job security.
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Unsure
About Your Career Path?
Take 15 minutes out of your day and set up a meeting
with one of our top lawyer staff members. They will
be able to answer any questions you have about PIW's
program, as well as provide you with any additional
information you will need in order to make sure PIW
will be a perfect fit with your career path.
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For
appointments, email Cynthia Bogino |
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