Archive for October, 2009
How a Paralegal Career is a Shortcut For Many in the Legal Field
Paralegal careers provide a large scope for diversity and variety as well as career advancement. Although an entry-level paralegal salary is not considered to be high, as time goes on and you gain experience you can become a very well paid paralegal with considerable responsibility.
Going to paralegal school or attending a university program specializing in paralegal law is the best way to get a start in this exciting career. There are many areas of expertise that paralegals can work in so gaining an understanding of what these are is a good way to decide where you want your career to progress to over time.
Types of Paralegals Include:
Nurse Paralegal – An excellent choice for paralegals who have some experience or interest in the medical profession.
Patent Paralegal – These paralegals have the potential to earn the most money while they aid patent attorneys and agents in filing patent-related paperwork.
Immigration Paralegal – A unique paralegal career choice.
Real Estate Paralegal – These paralegals help in the process of buying and selling property for clients.
Bankruptcy Paralegal – A niche paralegal area that is growing.
Family Law – Takes care of all legal issues relating to families such as divorce and estate planning.
Litigation Paralegal – These paralegals work with lawsuits of different types.
Real estate paralegals are one of the most common areas of paralegal work. These paralegals undertake various tasks such as preparing closings, performing due diligence, liaising with clients during the purchase and contract exchange process of property sales, and researching the title and administrative processes. Real estate law takes in all aspects of buying and selling property as well as the finance and leasing of property (both commercial and residential). Paralegals work closely with property solicitors to ensure the property exchange process goes smoothly.
Litigation paralegals settle lawsuits. These paralegals need to be familiar with civil procedure and discovery but it will depend what type of litigation the paralegal is involved in. The two types are civil and criminal. Litigation paralegals must undertake a lot of work per client so it is one of the more strenuous branches of this profession. Some tasks of a litigation paralegal include interviewing the witnesses, investigating the facts, aiding in the preparation of appeals, tracking court deadlines and drafting pleadings.
If you are interested in law but do not wish to become a lawyer, consider a paralegal career. It is just as exiting as a career as an attorney, but does not require a law degree. As you can see, there are also many different branches of the paralegal profession that you can choose from based on your interests.
Paralegal Salary Facts
Paralegal careers are very popular due to the interesting work and potential salary of employees. The median paralegal salary stands at about $45,000 but there is plenty of scope and opportunity to drastically increase your salary through further study, increased experience and smart job searching.
There is always a large variation in salaries between legal firms. Large firms will generally pay a paralegal more than very small firms. Government agencies also offer excellent salary opportunities for paralegals with higher earnings and more benefits. Most of the time paralegals are paid by attorneys based on the quality and also the quantity of work delivered.
Sometimes law firms favor specific qualifications in their paralegals and as such if you meet these requirements you will be entitled to a larger salary and benefits. Paralegals often receive bonuses. The average bonus per year is around $3,400. The average paralegal salary is said to increase by around $1700 per year but this number may fluctuate depending upon economic conditions.
Paralegals are known to work exceptionally long hours. Depending upon the terms of your contract, you may be eligible for over-time as a paralegal. As mentioned, bonuses are also paid as a reward for their dedication.
Paralegals and legal assistants earn different average salaries based on both education and experience as well as the quality of the employer. In general, legal firms in major cities will pay considerably more than those in rural or regional areas.
Junior paralegals generally start on a low wage of around $25,000 but quickly progress as they gain experience with most receiving a pay rise each year. The top paralegals can command more than $60,000 per year and these people are generally experts in one area of the paralegal profession.
Some common tasks performed by paralegals include:
- Contacting clients
- Drafting documents
- Organizing client files
- Indexing transcripts
- Preparing clients for court hearings
- Reviewing legal material
- Maintaining schedule calendar
- Track pending legislation that could affect clients
All of these tasks combine to make-up a job that requires much attention to detail and knowledge about the legal system. And this is why paralegals can potentially earn an excellent salary. So if this sounds interesting to you, consider pursuing a career as a paralegal, it’s an exciting career field that doesn’t require years of school and experience.
Jimmy Buffett Tickets
Jimmy Buffett, the son of James Delaney J.D. Buffett Jr. and Mary Loraine Peets Buffett, grew up along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and graduated high school from McGill Institute for Boys in Mobile, Alabama in 1964. Jimmy Buffett started playing guitar during his college years at Auburn University and The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history in 1969. He was initiated into the fraternity Kappa Sigma at the University of Southern Mississippi, although he was a pledge of Sigma Pi at Auburn. After graduation, Buffett worked as a correspondent for Billboard Magazine in Nashville.
He later married his first wife, Margie Washichek, at Spring Hill College in Mobile. Buffetts musical career began during the late 1960s in Nashville, Tennessee as a country artist. He recorded his first album, the folk rock Down to Earth in 1970.
Buffett started busking for tourists in New Orleans and went to Key West on a busking expedition with country music singer Jerry Jeff Walker. http://www.ticketmayor.com He later moved to Key West and established the easy-going beach bum persona for which he is known. A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean, Havana Daydreamin’ and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes featuring the breakthrough hit song Margaritaville were Buffetts next albums that came out in 1973, 1976 and 1977 respectively.
Jimmy Buffett was popular concerts draw during the 1980s and made more money off his tours. He released more albums and branched into writing and merchandising. In 1985, Jimmy Buffett opened the first of the Margaritaville restaurants in Key West, bringing new visibility and life to the Margaritaville name. He owns or licenses the Margaritaville Cafe and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains. Jimmy Buffett also loves baseball and was part-owner of Fort Myers Miracle and the Madison Black Wolf, two minor league teams. Buffett has shifted to a more relaxed schedule and touring just for 20-30 dates and playing only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Purchasing tickets is difficult with most of his concerts selling out in minutes. Between his restaurants, album sales, and tours, he earns an estimated 100 million Dollars a year.
Christmas Island, a collection of holiday songs and Parakeets, a collection of Jimmy Buffett songs sung by children were his out-of-character albums. In 1997, Buffett along with novelist Herman Wouk, created a short-lived musical based on Wouk’s novel, Don’t Stop the Carnival. The play ran for six weeks in Miami and its soundtrack released in 1998.
It’s Five Oclock Somewhere is his partial duet with Alan Jackson that came in 2003 and became a number one hit on the country charts. License to Chill released on July 13, 2004, sold 238,600 copies in its first week of release and with it Buffett topped the U.S. pop albums chart for the first time in his three-decade career.
Jimmy Buffett planned a cooperative project to produce his own beer with the Anheuser-Busch brewing company in 2006. Calling it Land Shark Lager, the label of the bottle will most likely feature a shark fin. Jimmy buffett tickets are very hot now a days in the market because he is again on his concerts tour. Every one love to see jimmy Buffet concert. Click on buy to see the tickets dates.
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Pre-Foreclosure Notice for Sub-Prime Loans
The North Carolina legislature has enacted new legislation to help homeowners with subprime loans avoid foreclosure. If a homeowner with a subprime loan defaults on his loan, the lender is now required to send to the homeowner a Pre-Foreclosure Notice at least 45 days prior to filing the Notice of Foreclosure Hearing. The Pre-Foreclosure Notice must include an itemization of all past due amounts and other charges that need to be paid in order to bring the loan current as well as a statement that the homeowner may have options available other than foreclosure. In addition, the Notice must also include contact information for the lender, the North Carolina Office of Commissioner of Banks and other HUD approved foreclosure counseling agencies.
The intent is to give homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage notice before their house is actually in foreclosure that they may be facing foreclosure in the near future and that there are options available that may allow them to save their home and/or their credit score.
Dan Zellers and Scott Rudd- Founding Partners
Dan Zellers, originally from Ohio, earned his undergraduate degree in finance and management from Defiance College and his law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bar, Mecklenburg County Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association. His practice is focused on residential and commercial real estate, foreclosure alternatives, landlord-tenant laws and estate planning.
Scott Rudd, a North Carolina native, earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from Campbell University and his law degree from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar, Mecklenburg County Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association. His practice is focused on residential and commercial real estate, business formation and litigation, foreclosure alternatives and work with homeowners’ associations.
Prior to founding Zellers Rudd PLLC, Dan Zellers and Scott Rudd worked together in the real estate finance group of some of the top international law firms in the nation. They represented large national banks and servicers in multi-million dollar commercial property transactions as well as multi-billion dollar commercial loan securitizations. These transactions included the negotiation of large servicing contracts as well as conducting large commercial loan transactions, loan assumptions, defeasances, parcel releases, and other consent matters on large commercial properties located all across the nation. In addition, their work prior to that has afforded them extensive experience in all aspects of residential real estate and residential real estate transactions including loan closings, foreclosure, landlord-tenant law, work with homeowners’ associations, default judgments and private transactions.
For more information about Charlotte foreclosure and foreclosure alternatives, please visit: http://zellersrudd.com/areas_of_practice/foreclosure_alternative.aspx