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Get On the Path to Success: Become a Paralegal
Goal for 2022: Become a Paralegal
BY THE CHAMBER COALITION
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Acareer as a paralegal (also known as a legal assistant) can be a wonderfully fulfilling profession. Paralegals perform legal , regulatory , and business -related research for lawyers working at their organization. Most of the time, paralegals work for law offices, non-profits, corporations' legal departments, or courts. These professionals also provide legal support services to attorneys. They assist lawyers in filing motions, memoranda, pleadings, and briefs in various court systems and accompany lawyers to see clients and go to court. Here are five great things about being a paralegal:
1. Rise in Pay Paralegal compensation has risen steadily in the past decade. As paralegals perform a broader and more complex range of tasks (paralegals even represent clients in court in certain countries and administrative tribunals), their earnings continue to rise. The average paralegal salary hovers at around $50,000 per year, but paralegals often make more through bonuses. Overtime hours can also add significant cash to a paralegal's paycheck. 2. Explosive Employment Outlook The paralegal field is one of the fastestgrowing professions on the globe. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts the employment of paralegals and legal assistants by over 25 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations. Among the factors driving this growth is client demand for cheaper, more efficient delivery of legal services. Since hourly rates charged by attorneys are typically double or triple the rates of paralegals for the same task, law firm economics mandates the increased use of paralegals to minimize costs. As a result, a paralegal career is one of the hottest non-lawyer jobs in the legal industry. 3. Easy Career Entry Unlike lawyers who must complete seven years of formal education and pass the bar exam to practice law, you can become a paralegal in as little as a few months of study.
4. Intellectual Challenge Paralegal work is intellectually challenging and involves a range of high-level skills. The most successful paralegals are problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. Paralegals must become subject matter experts in their specialty areas and master legal procedure, research, drafting, and other skills. They must stay on top of ever-changing laws and new legal trends and developments while interfacing with attorneys, opposing counsel, vendors, staff members, clients, and others. The work is varied, and each day brings new challenges.
5. Rising Prestige As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is rising. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they assume corporate management roles, leadership roles in law firms, and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal secretaries to become respected legal team members.
Ready to Take the Leap? A career as a paralegal can be rewarding professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help others; options vary, depending on the paralegal's practice area. Paralegals in the public interest sector help poor and disadvantaged segments of the population with legal issues ranging from protection from domestic abuse to assistance preparing wills. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Call us at 718-722-9217 or visit www.freeparalegal.org to complete your registration which includes payment.l
Need Assistance? Call 718-722-9217.
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BY STEPHANIE KORNEY JAMAICANS.COM
JJamaican dancehall singer Barrington Levy, 57, was recognized for his long and impressive career in the music industry with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Caribbean Food & Rum Festival on December 12, 2021, at the Hollywood Arts Park in Hollywood, Florida. Following his 40-minute performance in which he had the crowd dancing to some of his biggest hits, including “Murderer,” “Under Mi Sensi,” “Too Experienced,” “Here I Come,” and “Prison Oval Rock,” Levy received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Oliver Mair, Jamaica’s Consul General for the Southern United States. His song “Better Than Gold” has been featured in the soundtrack of “The Harder They Fall,” a top-10 trending film from Netflix. Commenting on the award, the Grammy-nominated Levy told his fans at the festival that it was the first thing his country ever gave him and that he appreciated Consul General Mair for presenting it to him. Levy was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, and has been a reggae and dancehall performer for 45 years. Over the years, he has created more than 35 albums on labels such as VP Records, MCA, Greensleeves, and Tuff Gong. Levy has traveled around the world on tour to the appreciation of his millions of fans in Europe and North America. In 2015, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for the Best Reggae Album for “Acousticalevy” In 2018, he took to social media to tell his fans he had a “virus.” This was his way of publicizing his new single entitled “Virus,” but his announcement caused some confusion, and he had to return to social media to explain the meaning to his fans. He told an interviewer from Caribbean National Weekly that he was referring to the “love virus” and that “we still need to spread that love.” The song has become one of his most popular releases and collected over one million views in a year. Caribbean Food & Rum Festival, which featured entertainment by Soca Queen Alison Hinds and the international Third World band in addition to Barrington Levy, had been rescheduled from its original date in September 2021 due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in Florida.l
Levy. Photo: Jamaicans.com
Kitchen Corner Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl
The best thing about making poke bowls is the ability to customize toppings around the main ingredient. In this case, it's smoked salmon. The smoked salmon is marinated with six ingredients for only 30 to 45 minutes, so you'll have dinner ready in a jiff. By Diana71, AllRecipes.com
Ingredients ¼ cup soy sauce 3 green onions, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon black sesame oil 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon grated ginger ½ teaspoon garlic, minced 12 ounces smoked salmon, chopped 2 cups cooked brown rice ¼ cup diced mango ¼ cup diced cucumber ¼ cup diced avocado ¼ cup sliced fresh strawberries 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, or to taste
Directions Step 1 Combine soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add salmon and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 2 Divide brown rice among 4 serving bowls. Top with salmon, mango, cucumber, avocado, and strawberries. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top.
Editor's Note: Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of marinade ingredients. The actual amount of marinade consumed will vary.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 283 calories; protein 19.8g; carbohydrates 28.5g; fat 9.9g; cholesterol 19.5mg; sodium 1576.2mg.l Prep: 15 mins Additional: 30 mins Total: 45 mins Servings: 4
