Paralegal Job Description in Hawaii

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor states that as of May 2012, paralegals working in the state of Hawaii averaged a yearly salary of $54,850, making Hawaii the fifth-highest paying state in which paralegals worked. That year, there were almost 600 paralegals employed in Hawaii, making an hourly mean wage of $26.37. Paralegals have an important and challenging job in assisting lawyers and the public in legal matters. If you want to become a paralegal in Hawaii, read on for more information.
 

As Hawaii has no mandates regarding education for paralegals employed in the state, education is an option for aspiring paralegals in Hawaii. Without the right education, however, it is just about impossible to find a paralegal job in Hawaii.

Hawaii Paralegal Online and Campus Schools

Some paralegal programs in Hawaii hold accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA) and others do not. ABA accreditation is not mandatory for paralegal programs in Hawaii, since there are no rules regarding paralegal education, but if you plan to become nationally certified later on, you might want to choose an ABA-accredited program.

• One college paralegal program in Hawaii currently is ABA accredited:

  • Kapi’olani Community College – Honolulu:
  • Associate in Science- Paralegal Studies

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Most paralegal programs, especially ones that hold ABA accreditation, require that you complete some sort of internship as part of the program. This will provide you with invaluable work experience in the paralegal field. If your educational program does not provide you with this great opportunity, you may still seek paralegal work experience in Hawaii on your own. Many pro bono and volunteer law services welcome help from aspiring paralegals. Organizations in Hawaii to which you might look for volunteer work experience include:

• Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
• Hawaii Disability Rights Center
• Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
• Hawaii State Bar Association Legal Assistance
• LawHelp.org/HI

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You need not seek national paralegal certification in order to work in Hawaii. Some Hawaii paralegals, however, decide to become certified to market themselves above non-certified paralegals when seeking a job. The Hawaii Paralegal Association recommends the following national certification for paralegals who desire certification:

• Registered Paralegal (RP): This certification is earned by passing the National Federation of Paralegal Association’s (NFPA) Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE). Your knowledge of the following five domains will be tested:
• Office administration
• Legal and factual writing
• Legal and factual research
• Administration of client legal matters
• Development of client legal matters
• Certified Registered Paralegal (CRP): This credential is earned by passing the NFPA’s Paralegal CORE Competency Exam (PCCE), which tests Paralegal Practice and Substantive Areas of Law.

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Major law firms as well as corporations, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and many more entities may employ paralegal sin Hawaii. Examples of Hawaii companies that have advertised recently for a paralegal vacancy include:

• University of Hawaii, Honolulu
• State of Hawaii, Oahu
• Kaiser Permanente, Honolulu
• State of Hawaii, Kauai
• Marr Jones & Wang LLP, Nuuanu-Punchbowl
• Case Lombard & Petit, Honolulu
• Altres, Honolulu
  

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Ho'omaika'i 'ana! You are now a paralegal working in Hawaii! You should think about becoming a member of a voluntary membership organization of legal assistants and/or paralegals. Such an organization can help you to advance in your career, to meet like-minded individuals, and to make the most of your paralegal career in Hawaii:

• Hawaii Paralegal Association
• Hawaii State Bar Association
  

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