I can't help but talk about these new courses that are coming up. Probably because the hottest action in the legal field right now is in eDiscovery and Litigation Support and it's a natural career path for paralegals.
The Organization of Legal Professionals, a non-profit organization, is offering six new online courses starting in October that are perfect for paralegals who want to move up, not out. Three are in eDiscovery and three brand new courses are starting in Litigation Support. (BTW, those with excellent track records tend to earn a lot of money in this arena.)
Here are the eDiscovery courses:
1. eDiscovery 101A: The Fundamentals
2. Advanced eDiscovery: The Next Level (for those with at least 2-3 years eDiscovery experience).
3. eDiscovery for Techies and Litigation Support Professionals
The new Litigation Support Courses are:
1. Litigation Support 101A: The Basics
2. Advanced Litigation Support
3. Project Management for Litigation Support Professionals.
The courses use a state-of-the-art software program (that you don't have to download) that allows the instructors and students to see each other via webcam. The classes are recorded in the event you miss one. Instructors are top-notch experts in the field.
According to a new publication, How to Land a Great Job in Litigation Support, LitSupport Professionals and eDiscovery Managers can make up to $200,000 per year. Now, I understand that you have to be pretty senior to earn that. However, I don't personally know too many paralegals who have climbed a vertical ladder to those kind of dollars. If you're out there, please speak up!
Law firms are having difficulty these days finding the hybrid technology professional: Someone who is both conversant in legal technology and very familiar with relevant laws. Other than The OLP, I know of no other extended courses that can teach the relevant topics to experienced legal professionals.
Law firms and in-house legal departments alike want to hire litigation support and eDiscovery professionals with paralegal backgrounds because you already know the ropes. There's less training time, less possibility of malpractice and more probability the job will get done without guess work. And, because you are not an attorney, firms are not faced with partnership issues, a pretty rocky road these days. With these opportunities, whoever says the paralegal career is a dead-end career needs to have their vision examined.
Check it out. The best and most intelligent thing you can do during any kind of economic turmoil is to get more education. That way, you give your employer more reason to keep you, even during tough times; your clients appreciate you and……..you move up a ladder, get more money and most of all, don't burn out doing the same old routine and repetitious work.
Who could ask for more?