• Environmental law is a growth profession.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Along with many other environmental professions, environmental law has grown substantially in recent years, with projections forecasting even further growth. Of course, more environmental lawyers means more environmental paralegals, making environmental law paralegaling a very attractive career option or a good way to pay for law school. As you might expect, the duties of an environmental paralegal are roughly the same as those of a general paralegal, although they specifically relate to the practice and interpretation of environmental law.
  
  

Maintaining Documentation

• A large part of an environmental paralegal's job is dedicated to processing documents, establishing or following a document management system, reviewing documents generated by lawyers, clients or judges, drafting summaries or legal requests, and assisting with fact-gathering for cases. While this part of the job may seem tedious, it is also a great way to become familiar with the inner workings of environmental law and how to build a legal case. Law students or anyone interested in the law can find this part of paralegaling highly interesting and rewarding.
  
  

Legal Research

• Perhaps the most involved and creative part of a paralegal job, legal research involves finding applicable precedents, investigating legal procedures, monitoring the development of environmental laws and case history, and even studying the projected or real environmental impact of projects and proposals. Through research, a successful paralegal can even define the shape of a legal argument in a particular case.
  
  

Various Administrative Tasks

• Finally, depending on the size of the practice, most paralegals are also responsible for some basic administrative work, including interacting with clients and maintaining case schedules and budgets. Again, while this portion of the job may not seem like the most stimulating, it will provide you with an in-depth look at the nuts and bolts of legal practice and maintaining any profitable business.