Oregon Labor Market Information System
Occupational Information Center
Occupational Report for Paralegals And Legal Assistants (23-2011) , Oregon Statewide
Occupational Description

Assist lawyers by researching legal precedent, investigating facts, or preparing legal documents. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.

The following related career videos are available from America's Career InfoNet:
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Employment Outlook for Paralegals And Legal Assistants
Statewide Employment Analysis 2006 employment is estimated to be at about the statewide average. This occupation is expected to grow at about the statewide average. Total job openings are projected to be at about the statewide average.

Reasonable employment opportunities exist for trained workers.

Data Sources and Limitations
Current Job Openings for Paralegals And Legal Assistants There are 4 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 4 are listed below.
Job Title Date Posted Location Wage Offered
Patent Paralegal 2/4/10 Portland
Legal Assistant 1/21/10 Lake Oswego
Temporary Administrative Assistant - #3179 12/22/09 Hillsboro $12.00/hr to $15.00/hr DOE
Paralegal 12/19/09 Eugene
State of Oregon License Information for Paralegals And Legal Assistants No statewide license is required for this occupation.
Wages for Paralegals And Legal Assistants
Region ---------------- 2009 Wages ----------------
Percentiles (hourly wages) Avg
Hourly
($/hr)
Avg
Annual
10th 25th 50th
(median)
75th 90th
Oregon Statewide $14.41 $17.22 $21.08 $26.35 $32.32 $22.40 $46,595
Multnomah / Washington 15.05 18.08 22.95 29.15 34.54 23.99 49,902
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 15.94 17.13 19.06 21.53 24.43 19.49 40,536
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 15.07 17.28 19.43 24.16 27.65 20.73 43,110
Lane 13.49 15.20 19.13 23.48 26.41 19.87 41,342
Jackson / Josephine 11.58 13.70 16.72 20.19 23.92 17.21 35,808
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 15.50 18.59 22.31 25.50 31.47 22.70 47,205
Morrow / Umatilla 13.64 15.42 19.15 21.72 24.53 18.92 39,355
Baker / Union / Wallowa 19.34 21.01 22.58 24.19 25.15 22.18 46,130
Grant / Harney / Malheur 14.94 17.30 18.69 20.09 20.92 18.25 37,959
Clackamas 21.81 23.01 25.02 27.29 32.72 26.11 54,317
Data Sources and Limitations
Regional Employment Projections for Paralegals And Legal Assistants
Region Employment Change % Change Projected Annual Openings
2006 2016 Growth Replacement Total
Oregon Statewide 1,752 2,008 256 14.6% 26 15 41
Multnomah / Washington 1,167 1,322 155 13.3% 16 10 26
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 223 256 33 14.8% 3 2 5
Lane 175 201 26 14.9% 3 2 4
Clackamas 88 107 19 21.6% 2 1 3
Jackson / Josephine 70 81 11 15.7% 1 1 2
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 54 69 15 27.8% 2 1 2
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 39 45 6 15.4% 1 0 1
Douglas 29 34 5 17.2% 1 0 1
Klamath / Lake 23 26 3 13.0% 0 0 1
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 22 25 3 13.6% 0 0 1
Grant / Harney / Malheur 21 23 2 9.5% 0 0 0
Morrow / Umatilla 16 20 4 25.0% 0 0 1
Baker / Union / Wallowa 16 16 0 0.0% 0 0 0
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 14 17 3 21.4% 0 0 0
Coos / Curry 13 15 2 15.4% 0 0 0

Replacement openings are caused by existing workers permanently leaving their occupation. Many additional job openings occur due to job changes within occupations.
Data Sources and Limitations
Industries of Employment for Paralegals And Legal Assistants
Industry
Click links to view infoUSA employers
Ownership 2006
Employment
Total, All Industries All 1,752
Total, All Industries Private 1,480
Finance and Insurance Private 64
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities Private 58
Insurance Carriers Private 56
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Private 1,348
Legal Services Private 1,326
Management of Companies and Enterprises Private 16
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Private 21
Administrative and Support Services Private 21
Employment Services Private 15
Total, All Industries Federal 90
Federal Government (Non-Postal) Federal 90
Total, All Industries State 53
Public Administration State 53
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities State 51
Total, All Industries Local 127
Public Administration Local 121
Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support Local 119
Educational Requirements for Paralegals And Legal Assistants Workers must have an associate degree to gain the necessary skills for this occupation. However, those with a bachelor's degree have a competitive advantage in this labor market.
Skills for Paralegals And Legal Assistants
  • Analyze Evidence
  • Analyze Legal Questions
  • Apply Active Listening Techniques
  • Apply Case Logic And Precedent
  • Apply Confidentiality Procedures
  • Apply Knowledge Of Judicial System
  • Apply Legal Concepts To Medical Reports And Documents
  • Apply Research Methodology To Legal Cases And Issues
  • Assist With Business And Managerial Research
  • Assist With Legal Research
  • Compile Information For Court Cases
  • Compose Business Correspondence
  • Conduct Investigations And Research
  • Conduct Legal Research
  • Conduct Record Searches
  • Draft Legal Pleadings
  • File Documents In Court
  • Follow Principles Of Business Law
  • Gather Physical Evidence
  • Interpret And Apply Contract, Property And Insurance Laws
  • Interpret And Apply Copyright Laws
  • Locate Persons (Skip Tracing )
  • Maintain Reference Library
  • Obtain And Maintain Legal Forms
  • Obtain General Information In Legal Office Setting
  • Obtain Information From Clients, Customers, Patients Or Others
  • Organize And Work With Detailed Records
  • Organize Legal Information And Records
  • Plan And Assign Duties To Employees
  • Prepare Court Exhibits
  • Prepare Legal Briefs And Affidavits
  • Prepare Legal Correspondence
  • Prepare Legal Documents
  • Process And Prepare Business Forms
  • Process Records And Maintain Forms And Files
  • Research Work-Related Topics Using Library Resources
  • Understand, Use, And Communicate Technical Information
  • Use Computers To Enter, Access And Retrieve Data
  • Use Correct Grammar, Punctuation And Spelling
  • Use Interviewing Techniques
  • Use Legal Terminology
  • Use On-Line Search Techniques
  • Verify Investigative Information
  • Work As A Team Member
Schools and Training Providers for Paralegals And Legal Assistants The training providers listed below offer one or more of the following programs:

Pioneer Pacific College
27501 SW Parkway Ave
Wilsonville, OR 97070
Phone: (503) 682-3903
Programs of Training:
College of Legal Arts
8909 SW Barbur Boulevard, Suite 100
Portland, OR 97219-4063
Phone: (503) 223-5100
Programs of Training:
Portland Community College
12000 SW 49th Avenue
Portland, OR 97219
Phone: (503) 244-6111
Programs of Training:
Everest College-Portland
425 SW Washington
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 222-3225
Programs of Training:
Career Pathway Roadmaps for Paralegals And Legal Assistants These Oregon community colleges have defined career pathway roadmaps to facilitate entry into this occupation:

Lane Community College
Related Occupations The scores listed below indicates how closely the skills for Paralegals And Legal Assistants matches the occupation in the list. A score of 100% means the occupations have identical skill sets. A maximum of 10 occupations are displayed below.
Occupation Skill Overlap
Legal Support Workers, All Other 85%
Law Clerks 71%
Lawyers 42%
Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators 31%
Title Examiners, Abstractors, And Searchers 31%
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, And Hearing Officers 31%
Judges And Magistrates 29%
Legal Secretaries 25%
Information And Record Clerks, All Other 21%