San Francisco 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 San Francisco, California
San Francisco lays claim to many food firsts. The country's first craft brewery was founded there. An alcoholic coffee served at an Irish airport was recreated and dubbed "Irish coffee" at the Buena Vista Café. Add to that the Mission-style burrito and the martini. Despite this, not all San Francisco jobs are in the food industry. Jobs in San Francisco banking have a long, successful history, too. While financial institutions throughout the U.S. were hit hard by the Great Depression, San Francisco's Bank of America was able to finance building the Golden Gate Bridge, creating hundreds of jobs in San Francisco for ironworkers. Sitting on the bridge girders watching the mist roll in may have sparked the idea for vodka made from San Francisco Bay fog.
If that doesn't tempt you to look for San Francisco jobs, we could also talk about the city's famous Ghirardelli chocolate, local coffee, cable cars, and Victorian homes. If you want to relocate a little further from the fog but still enjoy the taste of San Francisco, you might look at Daly City, South San Francisco, and Oakland.
Update Your San Francisco 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 San Francisco, California?
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 San Francisco, California, 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 San Francisco is $62,854 per year, which is 28% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next San Francisco 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 San Francisco, how to nail your job interview, and more.