Those in the legal community know it’s no secret that the job market for attorneys in the US has been taking a beating since the beginning of the recession, and that the picture has not improved much since then.

Not much more than a year ago the news was rife with stories of scores of unemployed law school graduates carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and lamenting what appeared to be an ill-advised investment in a worthless degree. At the time, a Northwest Law study reported that some 15,000 jobs had been eliminated at large law firms across the country.

The news in 2012 is that large law firms are still trimming the fat, albeit in different ways. A recent report in American Lawyer showed that more lawyers are earning less money, while even fewer are being brought on as full partners or otherwise sharing fully in firms’ profits.

So, what’s the good news? For lawyers and would-be lawyers there may be none, but the same cannot be said for paralegals. Studies show that roughly seven out of ten paralegals continue to work in law firms, and that employment of paralegals is expected to grow faster than average among firms that are shifting more work to them that was once handled by attorneys.

Paralegals and legal assistants are well-versed in the law and are responsible for doing research, drafting briefs and conducting interviews as well as the organizational tasks that are more often associated with the career, which makes them perfectly suited to manage firm workloads.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects paralegal and legal assistant jobs to grow 18% between now and 2020, although it’s unclear whether that estimation factors in the swift cuts large law firms seem to be growing more fond of making, much to the consternation of lawyers and law students. If this growing trend is not part of the BLS calculation, that percentage could be significantly higher.

Stock photo courtesy of Shutterstock 

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We recently had the great opportunity to interview Kristine M. Custodio, the current president of the San Diego Paralegal Association. We discussed what it is like to work as a litigation paralegal, advice for getting started in the paralegal field, and the job market in San Diego for paralegals.

Can you tell us why you decided to become a paralegal?

I did not originally plan to become a paralegal. In 1998, I received a bachelor’s degree from the California State University Long Beach in Human Development with an emphasis in physical therapy and was planning to obtain my graduate degree in the field when my mother became ill. I returned to San Diego that same year where I succeeded my mother as the administrator to my family’s residential facility for adults with developmental disabilities. I am still involved with my family’s business to this day.

Upon returning to San Diego, I worked at a design firm for four years where I received marketing and design experience. At the same time, I began taking classes to obtain my paralegal certificate from the University of California at San Diego Extension’s ABA-approved paralegal program. Even as a small child, I had been obsessed with the pursuit of justice, so I thought I would do well in this field.

After I received my paralegal certificate, I was hired in 2003 at the San Diego firm Butterfield Schechter LLP as a file clerk and just a few months later, was promoted to paralegal.

Can you provide a timeline of a recent day in the office for you?

I am the sole litigation paralegal for my firm. I also manage the firm’s pension practice. The first thing I do when I come into the office is check all my e-mails and voice mails. I then check the firm’s calendar. I lead Monday morning team meetings to plan collateral resources for the week to complete our projects for that particular week. At any given time, I am drafting correspondence or a variety of case documents to progress our cases. I also assist with training our staff and meeting with our legal administrator on various projects such as business development plans and other projects we may have for our other practice areas. I am involved in many aspects of my firm.

What are your favorite activities that you spend time on at your job?

I enjoy researching the most and also case planning. I like to have a big picture of where we are going with a case, so I enjoy discussing case strategy with my attorneys as well.

What are your observations of the job market for paralegals in the San Diego area? Are there any specific types of paralegals that are in greater demand?

San Diego has small, tight-knit legal community. Attending networking events and meeting people in the field are important. If you plan to be in the legal field, do your homework. Read everything that you can to familiarize yourself with the legal community, cases, news and events. It seems that litigation paralegals are typically in demand.

What advice would you give to paralegal students or new graduates for breaking into the paralegal field?

Be prepared to start at a very entry level position. Your work ethic speaks volumes in establishing your credibility and building trust with your attorney and team. I started as a file clerk in my office and worked my way up. It was one of the best things I could have done. I learned so much about how my firm operates, our practice areas, the clients, etc. It is the reason that I am so effective at my job today.

What can paralegals do to improve their career prospects or be highly effective in this career?

A strong work ethic and conducting yourself with character, integrity and professionalism are essential in advancing in the profession. Always ask what more you can do to help.

Thanks very much to President Custodio for being so generous with her time and sharing her valuable insights. Visit our paralegal career center for additional paralegal resources and interviews.

Some people may believe that any criminal justice degree will do because there will always be crime; however, the truth is that the criminal justice profession is just as beholden to the vagaries of technology, budgets and politics as any other career field.

Keeping this in mind, it is without surprise that there are some jobs in criminal justice that are more likely to grow through 2020 than others, and four careers most anticipated to expand are reviewed in brief below.

1. Forensic Science Technicians

The hit TV series CSI may have faded somewhat in popularity, but the profession that inspired it is still in the career headlines. The career is expected to grow 19% by 2020, requires a bachelor’s degree and has a median salary of $51,570 per year.

Forensic science technicians are responsible for collecting and processing evidence from crime scenes and in other situations, and must do so without breaking what’s called the “chain of evidence.” Knowledge areas include higher math, biology, botany, law and chemistry.

2. Paralegals and Legal Assistants

It’s no secret to those in the legal field that the downturn in the US economy had a devastating impact on law firms around the country, with attorney layoffs rising into the thousands. The good news is that paralegals and legal assistants remained to fill the void and now make up a very robust field. The careers are expected to grow 18% by 2020, require an associate’s degree and have a median salary of $46,680 per year.

Paralegals and legal assistants do everything a lawyer does except assume legal responsibility for representing the client. They write briefs, schedule meetings with clients and the court, sit in on interviews and run the administrative side of legal offices.

3. Information Security Analysts

Cyberterrorism and cyber warfare are the newest threats on the horizon, and it will be up to information security analysts and computer network architects to protect individuals, companies and the country’s infrastructure from attack. These careers are expected to grow 22% by 2020, require a bachelor’s degree and have a median salary of $75,660 per year.

This wide area of expertise has many facets, from building networks to running security checks on already-existing frameworks. Web developers may branch out into more creative elements of design, but all require hard skills in information technology and network administration.

4. Computer Forensics Specialists

The move by criminals toward more Web-based crime has led to the emergence of a new type of computer forensics that many find just as exciting as the “old” type, and without the blood. This career is expected to grow 13% by 2020, requires a bachelor’s degree and has a starting salary of approximately $46,500. The National Security Agency is planning to hire 3,000 cybersecurity specialists to fight the growing attacks while the Department of Homeland Security is planning to hire 1,000.

Computer forensics specialists track cybercrime through computers, networks and across the Internet by investigating hard drives, tracing IP addresses and collecting data from physical and digital sources. They are the ultimate hackers: white hats that follow black hats in the increasingly complex maze of the cyber universe.

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A new battle is brewing in the US, and its battleground is at the crossroads of security, technology, privacy, and business.

The ostensible reason for Congressional approval of a bill allowing greater access for drones over US airspace is to further the aims of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) NextGen project, which will allow commercial aircraft to make more efficient landings and takeoffs, but drone manufacturers and lobbyists are looking at the bigger picture and see dollar signs.

Many of the same manufacturers who design weaponized drones for use in combat (and many other companies besides) are now marketing their wares to US law enforcement agencies, and the fact that they can carry munitions is a prevalent selling point. As frightening as this may be, it is only the tip of the iceberg when considering the possibilities for abuse of this new law.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the FAA recently resulted in the FAA’s release of the first round of records that identify organizations that have applied for and received permits for drone use in public US airspace, many of which are police departments around the country.

Of course, law enforcement agencies are not limited to police departments and a look at the FAA’s lists is akin to looking into a crystal ball of possibilities when it comes to drone use. Some other entities that may pique the interest of watchdog groups that have requested and received permission to use drones include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the US Forest Service.

We were very fortunate to have an opportunity to interview the President of the South Florida Paralegal Association, Karen R. George, FRP. She shared some great insights into her work, interesting cases she has worked on, and advice for getting hired in the paralegal field.

Can you describe how you got started in the paralegal field?

I began working as a paralegal in approximately 1994 while working for a large medical malpractice defense firm in Miami, Florida. At the time, I was working as a word processing supervisor and the AIDS cases started coming into the firm. Kimberly Shapiro, Esq. was the attorney assigned to defend these cases against the local blood banks and PPTF (Physicians Trust Fund) which was financial/insurance end of the local public hospital – Jackson Memorial Hospital. Kim, her husband Judge Sidney Shapiro and I were friends and I was fortunate enough that Kim chose me to work with her on these new cases. After working on those cases for a while, I began a paralegal certificate class at Florida International University however, a large trial took me away to another county for an extended time and school got lost in the shuffle.

Can you give example of what a day at work might be like for you?

There is no set day for a paralegal. In my case, I can open my e-mail at the office, receive an e-mail that will send me anywhere for any amount of time. I could end up at the Court, at a hospital, at a client’s office, at one of our other offices, it could be anywhere. I could have a good day and be able to address what is in my in-box, discovery, motions, orders, research, it is difficult to know what is going to show up on a given day. Sometimes I end up translating from English to Spanish and vice-a-versa at some accident site. I wear many many hats as a paralegal for my firm. I am sorry I can’t be more specific.

Can you share an interesting case or project that you worked on in your career that is particularly memorable?

There are many. I have worked on the McDuffy trials in Miami – this was in the late 1970′s causing a riot that burned down the city. The case involved a black man shot by police officers on a dark and lonely road in Overtown Miami.
I worked on the Miami River Cops case which involved crooked police officers;
I worked on the Gold Bullion case involving two brothers who conned many people out of their money by selling them fake gold bullion;
I worked on the initial closings of all of the Art Deco hotels in South Beach;
I worked on the case involving Emil Gould v. City of Coral Gables – a few acres in a very exclusive area of Coral Gables essentially “assumed” by the City of Coral Gables even though it was titled and owned outright by Emil Gould. Mr. Gould won a 3.5 million award agains the City on that one.
I have worked on various product liability cases involving air planes, tires, motor vehicles, etc. I have worked on many toxic tort cases involving carbon monoxide and Dow Chemical fertilizer in Costa Rica.
I have worked on many interesting and varied cases throughout my many years in the legal profession as a paralegal, as a secretary, as a word processor and as a runner.

What skills or qualities do you think are the most helpful for paralegals to possess to find employment in Florida and have successful careers?

EXPERIENCE in a law office/law firm setting. The experience does not have to be AS A PARALEGAL, it can be as anything in the legal setting. It is ESSENTIAL. I had a telephone conference with Judge Farina of the 11th Circuit today regarding paralegals and we touched on this need for experience and he summed it up perfectly – it is a matter of proactive versus reactive. I think that’s what he said, I told him to write it down for me and e-mail it to me because it was great. What I suggest is not just for Florida it is for new/ aspiring paralegals across the country.

Also, JOIN A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION. This will give the newer paralegals / aspiring paralegals the opportunity to hear working paralegals, ask questions, get answers from those in the trenches. Can’t put enough emphasis on joining an association.

What do you enjoy most about working as a paralegal?

The variety and challenges. Can’t beat it with a stick. I love what I do though I sometimes complain.

What are the requirements for working as a paralegal in Florida? Do you recommend any additional paralegal certifications for new paralegals to pursue?

There are no ‘REQUIREMENTS” to work as a paralegal in Florida. However, Florida does have the Florida Registered Paralegal (FRP) program which is overseen by The Florida Bar based on a Florida Supreme Court Order dated November 15, 2007, directing the Fla. Bar to accept application from and over see paralegals who qualify for FRP designation based on the conditions of Rule 20. This gets a bit complicated but if you go on the Florida Bar website and look up FRP Committee it should direct you to a full copy of the present Rule 20 (there have been changes since November 15, 2007) and the requirements/conditions of holding that designation.

Also, National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) has a Certified Paralegal (CP) designation which is not REQUIRED but sought after by employers. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) has a Registered Paralegal (RP) designation which is not Required but is sought after by employers. Finally, there are others including NFPA’s CRP designation which is new and for recent graduates. You can go on the NFPA website for specific details on their CRP, I am not that familiar with it yet as it is very new.

What is the job market like in your area in terms of demand for paralegals?
There is definitely a demand for EXPERIENCED paralegals who are bi-lingual (sometimes). The big deal is experience and then if you have a Certified paralegal (CP) or RP or FRP designation as well that ups your chances and salary range. Bilingual is good but not as essential as it used to be. Bilingualism will also depend on what type of work you would be doing.

We thank President George for sharing her valuable insights and advice. For additional information on paralegal careers visit our paralegal career center.

Internships are an invaluable resource for both the intern and the employer, and now more law enforcement offices are taking advantage of opportunities to partner with educational institutions through internship programs, particularly in the field of forensic science.

These kinds of programs are not uncommon in other career fields, but interning in the criminal justice arena offers unique opportunities and challenges for students who are interested in pursuing jobs in law enforcement specialties like forensics.

Forensics is a broad category that generally refers to employing scientific methods and processes in the collection of evidence. It is often referred to in a legal capacity; however, not all forensics has a legal end.

Harrison Redd, an anthropology student at the University of Arizona, is an intern at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner-Forensic Science Center in Tucson. One of the facility’s many jobs is processing the remains of individuals found in the Southern Arizona desert who are commonly victims of exhaustion in border crossings, and Redd helps them do that.

His job is to collect bone samples for DNA testing, run tests and ultimately uncover the identities of the remains so that their loved ones may be notified of their passing. Redd has processed numerous sets of remains and helped bring closure to many families.

Farther to the east, Troy University in Dothan, Alabama, has established the Forensic Science Summer Program for high school students, which is designed to give teens interested in criminal justice careers an inside look into the world of crime scene investigation. The program will focus on methods as well as theory, and students will have the opportunity to engage with officers from both the Dothan Police Department and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.

A part of the attraction for government agencies is that students who participate can make real contributions to the law enforcement effort while also learning about a career field they may have otherwise not considered. For students, it’s a way to get a glimpse of the kind of real police work that nobody gets to see on TV.

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It wasn’t so long ago that cybercrime was a term reserved for science fiction stories and the silver screen, and “cyber terrorism” didn’t even exist as a concept.

Now the world has entered into the Digital Age, and the latest report from cybersecurity firm Norton Corp. reports that cybercrime costs businesses around the world $400 billion a year. These rising costs combined with increasing threats of cyber terrorism on critical infrastructure has many high school educators contemplating cybersecurity classes.

College cybersecurity courses, commonly found within the computer science discipline, are really nothing new and have been growing in popularity. High school computer science curriculum is another matter, however, and increasing interest in this area is being taken as a sign of the times.

Several high school programs are cropping up across the country like the Information Technology Security Academy in San Antonio and Cyberpatriot, which is sponsored by Northrop Grumman and the Air Force Association. The programs are designed to get young adults interested in what is fast becoming a white-hot career market.

This market is so new, though, that even the federal government has struggled with how to define the very jobs it’s trying to fill, despite the fact that an estimated 150,000 people work for the government in the information technology arena. The point would seem to be that even if no one knows what these people do, they know they need a lot of them.

And, that’s why it’s important that cybersecurity curriculum is being introduced to students at a younger age. More schools are opening computer labs all over the world, and focusing on giving kids more access to computers. It is perhaps an ironic turn for some who may remember that it was only a few years ago when experts thought kids were spending too much time in front of the screen.

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The seething underbelly of global cybercrime has been growing fat on schemes that have netted billions of dollars over recent years, but a handful of Eastern European cybercriminals have been brought to justice with the help of a University of Alabama computer forensics professor and his students.

Professor Gary Warner’s role in what is now known as Operation Trident Breach began with his involvement with InfraGard, a collection of 50,000 cybercrime specialists tasked with the domestic monitoring of the country’s digital infrastructure.

Warner pinpointed a “Trojan” – a rogue program used to strip information from the computers it infects – that was being used to collect banking data from small- and medium-sized American companies. The data was then being used to siphon off funds that would then be transferred to the criminals via “money mules” based in the U.S. The scheme netted the hacker collective more than $70 million before it was brought down by the FBI in cooperation with several international agencies.

Warner’s students helped by taking information about the money mules and trolling social media sites like Facebook and VKontakte (a Russian social media website) to find the culprits. All but one of 18 mules identified by the FBI were located and arrested with help from the computer forensics students.

The FBI acknowledged the role social media played in the capture of the money mules at a recent FOSE (Federal Office Systems Exposition) conference, saying that websites like Facebook provide a wealth of information about those people who wish to share it, many of whom are criminals who can’t help but brag about their exploits.

While this is good news for cybercrime experts and law enforcement agents, it is also a double-edged sword that is indicative of the very danger these professionals are fighting. Information is power and the world is fast becoming a place where anything – everything – can be found online by those who know how to look, and many of them are not the good guys.

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President Barack Obama’s recent mock cyber attack on New York City’s power infrastructure to support his new cybersecurity bill may have gotten the attention of legislators, but it has privacy advocates once again wondering who will be watching the watchers.

Driving the proposal is a recognized need by most in Congress that current cybersecurity laws do not afford enough protections in a rapidly evolving cyberterrorism environment. Proponents of Obama’s new bill say it will provide avenues for more collaboration between government security agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the private sector.

Critics argue, however, that the proposed legislation, dubbed the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, is less about collaboration and more about providing the federal government with the authority to seize control of private-sector security systems. There are also fears that the measure could put undue financial strain on companies as they try to meet the demands of federal oversight, and perhaps even impede the development of genuinely useful private-sector security protocols.

Although provisions for allowing the President to “shut down” the Internet in the event of a threat to national cybersecurity were dropped from the bill amid public criticism, privacy advocates are quick to point out that the administration believes it retains this power under current law anyway, and that the real concern is that this bill would be the equivalent of giving a bigger gun and badge to a lawman who is already drunk with power.

Despite many Republicans’ acknowledgment of the compelling nature of the demonstration and even agreeing that new cybersecurtiy protections are needed, they have derided Obama’s legislation, calling it another attempt to saddle Americans with more bureaucracy. Naturally, Republicans are offering a competing bill, which means the likely outcome of Obama’s efforts will be neutralized. It remains to be seen, though, whether the Republican proposal would not also result in more government meddling in the business of private companies.

Photo courtesy of Whitehouse.gov

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New York is drawing yet more attention for its actions that critics compare to the role of Big Brother.

Earlier in the year news broke that the New York Police Department was experimenting with the use of drones to watch over public spaces, and now the state government is back in the spotlight as it considers expanding its DNA database to include every person ever convicted of a crime.

The controversial move has drawn supporters and detractors together in a clash over safety versus privacy, and the question of whether the science and the security of the program is sound enough to entrust to the state what is possibly the most personal information one can have.

Another issue that is riling opponents of the measure is that the database is “secret” – the public may not check to see if their DNA has been recorded and defense attorneys may not access it in an effort to provide potential clients a complete defense. Civil rights supporters and DNA experts familiar with the process argue this type of secrecy in such an intrusive program is not representative of a democratic society.

Criminal justice advocates and state prosecutors support the move, declaring that DNA is a reliable method of identification and resource for evidence. Attorneys at the New York Civil Liberties Union disagree, however, and have provided extensive research showing weaknesses in each step of the DNA collection and recording process. They argue that special interests in the justice system and misleading mainstream media references are creating a false sense of security in the reliability of DNA evidence.

The lack of transparency in the program and its planned expansion, which already records the DNA of all felons and anyone who commits one of 36 misdemeanor offenses, has many feeling the weight of Orwellian oppression, and concerns about falling down the slippery slope toward a police state are growing.

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