15 Highest Paid Paralegal Specialists In The World

Paralegals are specific types of legal specialists with knowledgeable work experience and qualifications to carry out some tasks as an attorney.

In the USA, they form an integral part of the U.S. Army’s legal system and are expected to handle legal and administrative matters in most industries.

There are different types of Paralegal specialists. And just as in any other career, some paralegal specialists earn more than others considering their duties and educational qualifications.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics record shows that the average salary across the country for paralegals is $49,500.

In this article, we have detailed information about Paralegal specialists and a comprehensive list of 15 top highest paying paralegal specialists in the world.

Carefully read!

Who is a Paralegal Specialist?
What are the Duties of A Paralegal?
What Educational Qualifications is Required?
What are the Areas of a Paralegal Specialist?
What are the Highest-Paid Paralegal Specialist Jobs in the World?
Bottom Line
References
Recommendations

Who is a Paralegal Specialist?

A paralegal is a valuable part of a legal team who is well-versed in the law and legal issues but is not a certified lawyer.

Generally, Paralegals perform a wide range of administrative and legal tasks. They frequently collaborate with solicitors, barristers, and chartered legal executives and are associate members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).

However, they work in law offices as support staff, conducting legal research, organizing files, and producing documents.

Moreso, they assist attorneys in preparing for corporate meetings, trials, hearings, and depositions. Duties differ depending on the size of the company and the sort of law practiced.

What are the Duties of A Paralegal?

Basically, a paralegal’s job is to help lawyers with the day-to-day tasks that keep a practice running smoothly.

Gathering and arranging evidence for investigations and trials, conducting research to help support a cause, and writing notes or summaries of transcripts and evidence to ensure a lawyer is prepared for the trial are all part of the job.

In addition, they contact witnesses and clients to organize or conduct meetings and interviews.

As a way of breaking down their duties, below are some of the things they do in departments, which most times vary:

Negotiations and legal research
Project administration
Document administration
Creating fundamental legal documents
Administrative assistance
Client retention and progression

Additionally, paralegals may prepare to compose reports that assist attorneys in deciding how to deal with their cases.

If legal counselors choose to record claims for customers, paralegals may help draft reports and set up the lawful contentions to be documented with the court.

Law offices progressively use PC programming and innovation to plan for preliminaries and oversee archives. Paralegals use PC programming to plan introductions and to draft and list archives.

Paralegals can accept more obligations by representing considerable authority in various regions. These spaces could include prosecution, corporate law, criminal law, individual injury, representative advantages, protected innovation, insolvency, movement, land, and family law.

Lastly, experienced paralegals, most times, may accept administrative obligations, like designating work to different paralegals or administering group projects.

What Educational Qualifications are Required?

A paralegal normally holds an associate degree, but some may hold a baccalaureate or master’s degree.

A lawyer may recruit a paralegal with a particular knowledge of tax preparation or criminal justice and train her on the job in some situations.

However, Political Science is the most prevalent degree held by paralegals, accounting for 7% of all paralegals. Law and paralegal are two other common degrees.

What are the Areas of a Paralegal Specialist?

A paralegal can specialize in the following areas:

Family law
Criminal defense law
Real estate law
Corporate law
Intellectual property law
Estate planning and probate law

What are the Highest-Paid Paralegal Specialist Jobs in the World?

Below are the top 15 highest paid paralegal specialists in the world:

Paralegal Manager
Legal Project Manager
Intellectual Property Paralegal
Nurse Paralegal
Employment and Labor Law Paralegal
Government Paralegal
Senior Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal
Public Defender Paralegal
International law paralegal
Personal Injury Paralegal
Freelance Paralegal
Litigation Paralegal
Family Law Paralegal
Estate Planning and Probate Paralegal
Real Estate Paralegal

1. Paralegal Manager

Annual Salary: $104,775

According to our research, a Paralegal manager is the highest-paid paralegal specialist in the world with over $104,775 annual salary on average. This is because he/she plays a vital role in the field.

A paralegal manager supervises other paralegals. The manager creates a functional paralegal team and ensures they do all they ought to do.

Aside from that, he/she provides the necessary training, supervises the preparation of important documents, and assigns cases to paralegals.

Note, to become a paralegal manager, you must have a bachelor’s degree, have not less than 5 years experience, and also a paralegal certification. Having 3 years of supervisory experience can be an added advantage.

2. Legal Project Manager

Annual Salary: $87,375

This is another highest paying paralegal specialist as well as the fastest-growing position in a paralegal firm.

These managers are in charge of defining the parameters of a matter up-front, examine the course of the matter, managing and controlling the matter, as well as evaluating the possible ways of rendering solutions.

Aside from that, a legal project manager identifies technology solutions, develops budgets, relates with clients, and also keeps lawyers on track.

3. Intellectual Property Paralegal

Intellectual Property Paralegal is one of the most important paralegal specialists in the world as far as protection of lives and property are concerned.

This is why they also earn high in the field, You may ask, what exactly is their work? An intellectual property paralegal basically works with rights holders in preparing patents and trademarks and pursuing litigation against anyone who infringes upon another’s rights.

Thus, the work is under the attorney’s supervision. Note, becoming a specialist in the area requires you to have a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies and paralegal certification.

4. Nurse Paralegal

Annual Salary: $82,687

This is another highly paid paralegal specialist in the world. Basically, Nurse Paralegal is a paralegal specialist who helps to interpret medical reports or jargon, testify in court about medical-related issues and also prepares medical summaries for insurance companies, attorneys, and hospitals.

Note, to become a nurse paralegal, you must be a fully registered nurse who must have passed American Bar Association’s paralegal training and the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board exam.

5. Employment and Labor Law Paralegal

Annual Salary; $80,685

Another top paralegal that goes home with a fat paycheck because of the work he/she performs is an Employment Labor Law Paralegal specialist.

This kind of paralegal works with representatives and businesses on issues concerning business rehearses. They frequently handled issues relating to work strikes, protection disputes as well as joblessness.

To turn into an effective work and work law paralegal, you must have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, strong authoritative abilities, and good knowledge of court proceedings on court procedures and methods relating to business and work law.

6. Government Paralegal

Annual Salary; 78,478

Government paralegal is another high-paying paralegal job in the world worth going for. Basically, a government paralegal works under the supervision of an attorney in a government law-related setting on legal matters like court cases.

This paralegal specialist also helps in developing policy positions, drafting communications and testimonies as well as making research on legislation and regulations.

In as much as this profession pays well, you must have a paralegal certificate, a bachelor’s degree, and years’ experience before you can function there.

7. Senior Paralegal

Annual Salary: $69,995

A senior paralegal is a legal assistant who knows and has more experience in the area than the other paralegals in their department.

As a senior paralegal, you are often assigned more sophisticated job responsibilities and can work more autonomously than other members of the team.

You’ll also handle sensitive documents and other high levels of responsibility in the organization.

Note, just like Government Paralegal, you will need 3-5 years of experience in legal or government affairs, a paralegal certificate, as well as a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent before you can become a senior paralegal.

8. Corporate Paralegal

A corporate paralegal is another high-paying paralegal position. Corporate paralegals typically work in large corporations’ legal departments.

As a Corporate paralegal, you’ll assist attorneys in ensuring that the organization’s business and recruiting practices are legal.

Aside from that, you’ll be in charge of document creation, conducting an investigation, composing notes and reports, and helping with interviews

9. Public Defender Paralegal

Annual Salary: $65,971

Working as a Public defender is another good paralegal specialization that pays well. It is also among the busiest attorneys in the legal industry.

As a Public defender, you will handle facts investigation, interview scheduling, and organize administrative hearings

More so, you’ll help in composing correspondence and aiding during trials. Note, it will be best to have a paralegal certification if you want to become a public defender because businesses favour job candidates with paralegal certifications.

10. International law paralegal

Annual Salary: $62,472

International law paralegal is the next highest paying paralegal career on our list. They are responsible for evaluating legal claims and other international law issues.

While some businesses prefer a paralegal with a bachelor’s degree, the majority merely demand paralegal certification. Excellent research abilities and a keen eye for detail are also necessary.

It is paramount to note that, some international law paralegals work for private law companies that focus on trade law, treaty law, and other areas of international law.

Others are employed by multinational organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Bank (WB), and the Organization of American States.

11. Personal Injury Paralegal

Annual Salary: $60,691

Personal injury paralegal is the next highest-paid paralegal position on our list. Personal injury paralegals typically work with personal injury attorneys who specialize in this area.

The research relevant state legislation, conduct interviews with clients, collect medical reports and insurance information and aid with settlement preparations.

Personal injury paralegals are typically needed to have at least an associate degree in law.

12. Freelancer Paralegal

Annual Salary: $58,507

A freelance paralegal job is suitable for a paralegal who is looking for part-time work. Freelance paralegals, sometimes known as contract paralegals, work on a contract basis for attorneys.

This means that independent paralegals are their own bosses and can work whenever and wherever they desire.

Freelance Paralegal drafts and edits documents, interview witnesses and also help in the trial prep by carrying out subpoenas and filing court documents.

13. Litigation Paralegal

Annual Salary: $55,401

Litigation Paralegal is one of the highest-paid paralegals in the world at large. They are responsible for getting ready materials for court proceedings, filing documents for attorneys, as well as standing as a liaison between all parties involved in a case.

The basic requirements to becoming a litigation paralegal differ from one business to the next.

Some litigation paralegals can get on-the-job experience. Others must have a bachelor’s degree or a paralegal certificate before they can be recruited.

14. Family Law Paralegal

Annual Salary: $59,346

Family law is a distinct area of practice since it covers the study of the law about the various sorts of relationships between individuals who share a domestic connection.

This field of paralegal prepares evidence for hearings, research relevant laws, and draft legal documents and reports. They’re usually employed by attorneys specializing in child custody, divorce, adoption, and any other issues relate to families and the law.

15. Estate Planning and Probate Paralegal

Annual Salary: $53,623

Estate planning and wills paralegals can expect to make over $54,000 per year on average. They assist in the estate planning process, and their responsibilities include establishing sub-trust allocation schedules and distribution plans, among other things, compiling and drafting documentation notifying beneficiaries.

Note, to work as an estate planning and probate paralegal, you must first complete an ABA-approved paralegal program, whether it is a certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree. A minimum of six months of internship is also recommended.

16. Real Estate Paralegal

Annual Salary: 53,406

If you’re interested in real estate, this paralegal career path could be ideal for you. Real estate paralegals earn little more than $53,000 per year on average. They are available for hire by any of the following parties: lawyers, buyers, sellers, lenders, and agents.

Basically, Real Estate Paralegal prepares real estate documents, compose letters and file posy-closing documents.

Bottom Line

The paralegal sector is among the sectors in the world that are growing at an exponential rate both in relevance and pay. This means that deciding to go into a career as such won’t be a bad idea at all.

By knowing these highest paid paralegal specialists, you can see the huge opportunity that exists in this market.