What Can You Do With a Paralegal Degree?

Rasmussen University’s Paralegal Certificate and Paralegal Associate’s degree programs are not designed to prepare graduates for any professional certifications or state-issued licenses.

While they are prohibited from practicing law or representing clients, paralegals may play an important behind-the-scenes role in the legal system, supporting attorneys with the research, writing, and organization that keep cases moving.¹

Graduates with a paralegal degree may pursue roles such as paralegal, legal assistant, legal secretary, court clerk and other legal support positions. Rasmussen University's online Paralegal associate degree is designed to help students build the knowledge and skills relevant to entering this fast-paced corner of the legal field.²

What Do Paralegals Do?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegals may take on a wide variety of tasks that support the attorneys they work with. Much of the role centers on preparing the groundwork for legal matters, which may involve work such as:¹

• Looking into the details of a case and pulling together the relevant facts
• Studying the laws, regulations, and legal writing that bear on a matter
• Keeping legal documents collected, ordered, and up to date
• Preparing written materials, from routine correspondence to contracts
• Securing affidavits and other formal statements that may serve as evidence
• Assisting attorneys at trial by managing exhibits, taking notes, or reviewing transcripts
• Submitting briefs, appeals, and similar filings to courts, agencies, or opposing counsel
• Arranging interviews, meetings, and depositions among the people involved in a case

What a paralegal handles day to day may depend on the type of law involved, since a role in an area like bankruptcy or intellectual property may look quite different from one in another field. The size of the employer may matter too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that paralegals at smaller firms may see a case through from beginning to end, while those at larger firms may concentrate on one stage of the process, such as preparing witnesses ahead of a deposition or trial.¹

Where Can You Work With a Paralegal Degree?

One appeal of a paralegal background may be the range of settings where these skills apply. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most paralegals work in legal services, though many others may be employed by local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as in the finance and insurance sectors.³

The work may be primarily office-based, with paralegals frequently collaborating on teams that include attorneys and other support staff. Some roles may involve occasional travel, such as joining an attorney at a deposition or trial, and the pace may be demanding at times, with several cases or deadlines in motion at once.³

Typical Career Paths With a Paralegal Degree

A paralegal education may help prepare students for a range of roles across the legal field. Graduates may choose to explore positions such as:²

• Paralegal
• Legal secretary
• Legal assistant
• Court administrative assistant
• Court clerk
• File clerk

Some roles may require additional education, certifications, or experience depending on the employer and specific position.²

Skills You May Gain in a Paralegal Degree Program

Paralegal work may call for a blend of legal knowledge and practical ability. The Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies several qualities that may be important for those in the field, including communication, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, organization, and research ability.⁴

Rasmussen University's paralegal degree program is designed to help students build skills relevant to this work.

Skill areas in the program may include:²

Legal Analysis and Insight

Learn concepts related to drafting legal documents, managing case files, combing through data, citing legal authorities, and identifying relevant information sources for legal problems.

Navigate Legal Research Tools

Learning to use and navigate legal research tools and understanding how databases are used in the legal research process.

Advanced Writing Skills

Understanding and applying legal research and writing while developing strong writing, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.

Transferable Skills

Building soft skills that may carry into many roles, including critical thinking, communication, digital fluency, information literacy, and ethics and professional responsibility.

What Do You Learn in a Paralegal Degree Program?

Rasmussen University's online paralegal associate degree includes 24 courses. Sample courses may include:²

• Introduction to Law and the Legal System: Examines the American legal system, including the structure of government, court procedure, and the role of the paralegal, along with the impact of legal ethics on the paralegal.
• Introduction to Legal Research: Introduces the legal research process, working with primary sources such as state and federal law and secondary sources, and practicing Shepardizing.
• Paralegal Associate Capstone: Prepares students for the legal community through a simulated law office experience, applying research, writing, and analysis to simulated client cases.

The curriculum is designed to provide educational preparation related to content that may be covered on the Certified Paralegal Exam offered by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA^®).²

Is a Paralegal Degree Right for You?

Deciding whether a paralegal degree fits may start with an honest look at your interests and strengths. The Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies several qualities that may be important in this field: communication skills for working with attorneys, clients, and court personnel; attention to detail, since small errors in legal documents can carry real consequences; interpersonal skills; organization, given the volume of files and deadlines in motion at once; and research ability.⁴

Interests matter as much as abilities. A few questions worth reflecting on: Are you more drawn to legal analysis than to administrative operations? How comfortable are you with research and writing? How directly involved do you want to be in a legal case?⁵ Paralegal work tends toward the substantive side of a law office, so someone who pictures themselves digging into legal questions, drafting documents, and following a case's progress may find the role a natural fit, while someone who prefers predictable office routines may lean toward other legal support paths.⁵

Work style is worth weighing too. The pace may be demanding, with several cases or deadlines moving at once,³ and the day-to-day may shift depending on the area of law and the size of the employer.¹ People who thrive in deadline-driven, case-focused environments may find that variety energizing rather than draining.⁵

Exploring a Career in the Legal Field

Paralegal skills may apply across a variety of settings, including law firms, courts, government agencies, and corporate legal teams. For those who enjoy research, writing, and organization, and who are drawn to the workings of the legal system, it may be a path worth exploring.¹,²

If you're curious about what it may take to pursue this path, exploring Rasmussen University's online paralegal associate degree, including its curriculum, learning outcomes and potential career paths, may be a helpful next step.²

Earning a degree does not guarantee employment or specific job outcomes. Employment conditions in your area may vary.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm#tab-2 (accessed June 4, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
²Rasmussen University, Paralegal Associate Degree, at https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/justice-studies/paralegal/associates/ (accessed June 4, 2026).
³Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm#tab-3 (accessed June 4, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
⁴Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm#tab-4 (accessed June 4, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
⁵Rasmussen University, Legal Assistant vs. Paralegal: Is There Really a Difference?, at https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/justice-studies/blog/legal-secretary-vs-paralegal/ (accessed June 4, 2026).

NALA^® is a registered trademark of National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. 7666 E 61st St #315, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133.