Most corporate paralegals list "litigation," "corporate governance," and "legal research" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important corporate paralegal responsibilities here:
The most important skills for a corporate paralegal to have in this position are communication skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a corporate paralegal resume, you'll understand why: "paralegals must be able to document and present their research and related information to their supervising attorney." According to resumes we found, communication skills can be used by a corporate paralegal in order to "received two service quality awards for improving company communication thorough documentation of corporate documents and management of litigation files. " While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many corporate paralegal duties rely on computer skills. This example from a corporate paralegal explains why: "paralegals need to be familiar with using computers for legal research and litigation support." This resume example is just one of many ways corporate paralegals are able to utilize computer skills: "conduct legal research on case law using traditional and computerized research methods. " Corporate paralegals are also known for interpersonal skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a corporate paralegal resume: "paralegals spend most of their time working with clients and other professionals and must be able to develop good relationships" We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "secured interpersonal relationships with other firms/counsels to guarantee documents are executed prior to confirmed foreclosure sale dates. " A thorough review of lots of resumes revealed to us that "organizational skills" is important to completing corporate paralegal responsibilities. This resume example shows just one way corporate paralegals use this skill: "paralegals may be responsible for many cases at one time" Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical corporate paralegal tasks: "manage corporate administration including the maintenance of minute books, stock certificates and all entity organizational documents. " As part of the corporate paralegal description, you might find that one of the skills that might be helpful to the job is "research skills." A corporate paralegal resume included this snippet: "paralegals gather facts of the case and research information on relevant laws and regulations to prepare drafts of legal documents for attorneys and help them prepare for a case." This skill could be useful in this scenario: "involved in all aspects of litigation support including legal research, factual investigations, document review/management, and trial preparation. " See the full list of corporate paralegal skills.
We've found that 61.1% of corporate paralegals have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 6.9% earned their master's degrees before becoming a corporate paralegal. While it's true that most corporate paralegals have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every seven corporate paralegals did not spend the extra money to attend college.
The corporate paralegals who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied legal support services and business, while a small population of corporate paralegals studied political science and law.
When you're ready to become a corporate paralegal, you might wonder which companies hire corporate paralegals. According to our research through corporate paralegal resumes, corporate paralegals are mostly hired by Robert Half, Sevita, and Gunderson Dettmer. Now is a good time to apply as Robert Half has 29 corporate paralegals job openings, and there are 10 at Sevita and 9 at Gunderson Dettmer.
If you're interested in companies where corporate paralegals make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, BGC Partners, and Fox Rothschild. We found that at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, the average corporate paralegal salary is $109,287. Whereas at BGC Partners, corporate paralegals earn roughly $107,656. And at Fox Rothschild, they make an average salary of $102,584.
View more details on corporate paralegal salaries across the United States.
If you earned a degree from the top 100 educational institutions in the United States, you might want to take a look at Law Office, Pauls, and Robert Half. These three companies have hired a significant number of corporate paralegals from these institutions.
The industries that corporate paralegals fulfill the most roles in are the professional and internet industries. But the highest corporate paralegal annual salary is in the finance industry, averaging $76,737. In the health care industry they make $75,853 and average about $73,579 in the professional industry. In conclusion, corporate paralegals who work in the finance industry earn a 74.7% higher salary than corporate paralegals in the hospitality industry.
