“Paralegal Job Outlook – Stagnant or Full Steam Ahead?”

This is not really new news, but it’s nice to have "paralegal job growth" confirmed:

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for paralegals is very good, with an expected growth rate near 33 percent a year through 2010. The bureau notes that compared to other professions, the leap in the paralegal field is dramatic.

"The paralegal or legal assistant profession is expected to grow because of a couple of economic factors. One, more law firms are hiring paralegals to do some of the necessary legwork – research and paper work on their behalf. This frees up the attorney for court appearances and for developing client-attorney relationships, two duties a paralegal is not allowed to do. Two, having a paralegal do the work rather than an expensive paid by the hour attorney saves the client money."

BTW, here’s a chart showing "Average annual total cash compensation" for paralegals displaying increases in various positions across 2004, 2005, & 2006.