WHAT ARE THE MOST PRACTICE AREAS IN THE PARALEGAL FIELD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS By Eugene Babauta

INTRODUCTION For years, the paralegal profession has ranked among the fastest growing profession in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor emphasis the following significant points when describing the paralegal profession in the edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics goes on to state that paralegals and legal assistants held about 238,000 jobs in 2006, and that despite projected rapid employment growth, competition for jobs is expected as many people to seek to go into this profession. If you think about obtaining a certificate in paralegal studies, experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best employment opportunities in the legal field. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition) For the paralegals that just graduated, statistics indicated that large opportunities and in great demand for paralegals or legal assistants are in the arenas of government agencies and corporate firms. The following are the most practice areas in the paralegal field in the state of Texas.

#1 CORPORATE Texas corporate law generally evolves around bankruptcy and complex employment issues. In addition, as a reaction to the Enron debacle, many Texas attorneys now focus entirely on the compliance and administrative issues that attach to these legal areas. Corporate law is always popular in Dallas and Houston. ( United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#2 GOVERNMENT Government opportunities continue to appear in Texas. This sector includes specific federal and local administrative laws as well as many local zoning issues. Government law is particularly hot in Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#3 ENERGY With the abundance of oil and gas, energy law seems to always be in vogue in Texas as more and more firms project growth in this area of practice. Litigation is especially on the rise in Dallas and Houston. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#4 REAL ESTATE With a booming population there is constantly work to be done in this dynamic Texas practice area. In particular be prepared to deal with nexus of all Texas real estate law such as, construction, real estate law continues to be on the rise in Dallas, El Paso, and Houston. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#5 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Teas intellectual property law has become increasingly segmented as of late. This means that is hot in Austin and El Paso( Technology/ Telecommunications), will differ substantially from what is popular in Dallas (Technology/ Trade secrets) and what is in style in Houston (aerospace/ Tech equipment). Nonetheless, patents trademarks, and copyrights remain the common denominators in Texas as attorneys continued to find work in these areas statewide. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#6 INTERNATIONAL Texas geographic location gives it denizens as opportunity to explore the global legal scene as well. Latin American communities are by far the most represented. International law is heating in Dallas and Houston. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#7 AGRICULTURAL Taking cue from its cowboy past, Texas has continually been at the forefront of this historic practice area. Most legal work related to cattle, farming and Texas emerging wine industry. Agricultural law is particularly in style in El Paso and San Antonio. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#8 EMPLOYMENT Employment law in Texas is constantly in flux, and firms need attorneys to ensure compliance with new regulations. Particularly, when practicing employment law in Texas, be prepared to defend lawsuits, update employee handbooks, and train staff. Employment law is particularly in vogue in Dallas and Houston. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

# 9 EDUCATION Education law in Texas focuses on students rights and privatization. As a caveat, note that this issue tends to be a political fovorite and may be subject to local governance. Education law is popular in Austin and Dallas. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)

#10 HEALTHCARE In Texas, HMO coverage and premium issues dominate the healthcare landscape. Healthcare is most popular in San Antonio. (United States Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Handbook, (EOS) edition)