Atlanta Paralegal Jobs Overview
Attorneys—especially those at bigger firms—can’t do it all on their own. Essential members of their teams often include paralegals. However, these roles should not be confused with legal secretaries, who only handle day-to-day admin duties and customer-service tasks.
As defined by the American Bar Association (ABA), a paralegal is a professional “who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.” Hence, paralegal jobs encompass a variety of work that’s more directly involved with supervising attorneys or lawyers, such as preparing affidavits and legal correspondence, filing pleadings, responding to discovery requests, researching case-related information, and recapping depositions and trial transcripts.
And now’s a great time to pursue this career. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is forecasting a 12% growth outlook over the next decade for paralegal jobs, which is faster than the average for all occupations, as law firms and other companies keep hiring more paralegals to increase productivity and cost-effectiveness.
You can expand your search for legal jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Atlanta, Georgia
Be careful when asking for directions in Atlanta. If someone says "take Peachtree," they may be sending you down any one of 70 roads with the same name. The original Peachtree Street runs through Atlanta, connecting the Five Points financial district to Midtown and then up to Buckhead before it takes a hard turn to become Peachtree Road. Once you've got the local roads figured out, you'll soon learn if the Atlanta jobs you apply for are OTP or ITP. Interstate 285, a highway that encircles the city with 60 miles of asphalt, determines if you are inside the perimeter or outside the perimeter.
If you live in Atlanta, you may find that your neighbors have Atlanta jobs at the world headquarters of companies like Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, Delta Airlines, or Turner Broadcasting. You can also try looking for opportunities in the Atlanta metro area—it's 6,000 square miles and contains 110 municipalities, including Sandy Springs, Smyrna, and Marietta.
Update Your Atlanta Paralegal Resume
Your paralegal resume should open with a compact, hard-hitting objective. When writing this, think of it as arguing your case—a compelling opening statement, so to speak. You can also opt for a career summary instead, if you’d prefer. After that, it’s important that you give specific examples of your accomplishments and quantify your achievements (e.g., how big were your previous caseloads and how fast were you able to finish respective tasks?). Take a look at our paralegal resume sample for more pointers.
Additionally, try sending a persuasive cover letter with your application, as it will help your candidacy if you do it right. Need some guidance? Then review our example of a well-written cover letter for paralegals.
How Much Do Paralegal Jobs Pay in Atlanta, Georgia?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in paralegal jobs in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median paralegal pay in Atlanta is $46,880 per year, which is 4% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next Atlanta Paralegal Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in paralegal? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those paralegal jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Atlanta, how to nail your job interview, and more.