Army 27D MOS: Paralegal Specialist -

If law and legal procedures have always been of interest to you, the Army 27D MOS just may be the perfect Army job for you. There are a plethora of legal matters that occur in the United States Army, and paralegal specialists are greatly needed to cover many aspects of legal issues.

In today’s post, we are going to provide an overview of Army 27D MOS: Paralegal Specialist. We will give you a basic job description, the duties and responsibilities, requirements and prerequisites along with future career opportunities for a person who accepts the job of Paralegal Specialist in the United States Army.

Job Description

Basically, the Paralegal Specialist is a researcher. Many hours are spent studying court proceedings and laws via books, the internet and interviewing. The Paralegal Specialist assists Commanders, attorneys, judges and others who are in need of legal aide. The Paralegal Specialist will create legal documents and provide support in matters concerning:

Financial law
International law
Contract law
Family law
Criminal law
Etc…

The majority of a Paralegal Specialist’s job consists of office work.

Duties and Responsibilities

When a soldier starts as an Army 27D Paralegal Specialist, he/she will provide legal support as needed to unit commanders and their staff. They will coordinate with the supervisory paralegal office. Part of the process will consist of preparing and processing legal documents in:

Claims investigations
Courts martial support
Separation board proceedings
Non-judicial punishments
Line of duty determinations
Administrative law matters
and other military law issues.

As the soldier gains experience, they will climb the “skill level ladder”. What I explained above is skill level 1 with there being 5 skill levels. As skill levels climb, so do the responsibilities.

Skill level 2

Along with the responsibilities in level 1, the soldier will also have supervision over a section of the paralegal office. He/she will maintain the legal library and files and records. Guidance to subordinates is also a duty.

Skill level 3

Along with 1 & 2, the 27D will supervise the total paralegal office. He/she will train and provide support to subordinates, along with conducting in-depth legal research.

Skill level 4

This skill level adds the responsibility of implementing training procedures for paralegal specialists and NCOs, along with the prior skill level responsibilities.

Skill level 5

At this level, the paralegal specialist will control and maintain a large paralegal operation. At this level, the soldier will advise the senior judge advocate on matters concerning paralegals. Inspection of operations also fall within their responsibilities.

Requirements To Become a Paralegal Specialist

The prerequisites to become an Army 27D are:

United States citizen
Secret security clearance
ASVAB score of 105 in verbal expression, arithmetic reasoning and mathematics knowledge.
25 words per minute typing ability.
No courts martial or article 15 convictions.
No civil convictions other than minor traffic offenses.
No lost time record.
No undesirable behavior pattern either in military or civilian settings.
Certification by Judge Advocate General for paralegal.

Training

The training to become an Army 27D MOS: Paralegal Specialist will start with 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training, because as with any Army job, the first priority is the defense of the United States. The soldier will then be sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for Advanced Individual Training in the 27D MOS. They will learn:

Legal document formats
Legal terminology
Proper research techniques
The Army judicial process
Interviewing witnesses
and much more.

AIT lasts for 10 weeks, and the 27D will then be located in a paralegal office in any of the multiple Army bases around the world.

Future Career Opportunities

Because of the nature of this job, while working it, a soldier could take courses that could lead to a law degree allowing them to become an attorney. In the Army, a soldier can qualify for full tuition benefits, along with books and added fees.

This job alone can lead to future jobs in paralegal services in the civilian world or such things as:

Legal assistant
Court reporter
Court clerk
Legal aide representative
and much more

Final Thoughts

As long as there are humans, there will always be a need for legal services. If a person looks in the help wanted ads in any major newspapers, they will find many opportunities for paralegals. Corporations and attorney offices are always in dire need of people who will perform the research and prepare needed documents.

We would like to hear from anyone who is, or was a paralegal specialist in the United States Army. Please tell us more about this MOS.

While some may tell you this job is just a “glorified” secretary, I beg to differ. It takes a special person to understand legal terminology and be able to prepare documents properly. Many attorneys will claim they would not be where they are without the “behind-the-scenes” paralegals who make that attorney shine.

To all who are Army 27Ds, thank you for your service in the U.S. Army.

If you have any questions or comments, please provide them below. Thank you.

Army 27D MOS: Paralegal Specialist