Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Legal · SOC 23-2011
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 23-2011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 29.3%
- High · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 43/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $62,890
- H-1B offered wage $66,331; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 40,400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +0.2%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 209
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 76,108 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~52.5% of this role but only ~29.3% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.
Common titles: Immigration Paralegal, Law Associate, Legal Analyst, Legal Assistant, Legal Clerk, Legal Processing Assistant
Representative Tasks
- •Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
- •Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
- •Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- •Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
- •Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Maintain the order of legal documents.
- •Prepare legal documents.
- •Research relevant legal materials to aid decision making.
- •Identify implications for cases from legal precedents or other legal information.
- •Prepare information or documentation related to legal or regulatory matters.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 29.3% | 20.6% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 29% Bright |
| Median Salary | $62,890 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 71/100 | N/A |