I don't recommend the paralegal route to anyone.  Been there/done that (along with a freelance legal secretary in San Francisco -- better than a paralegal which I found MORE boring than when I worked at the post office....which I've done twice as a full time regular).  Oil/Gas can seem awful to a mortgage abstractor, but you DO get used to a different mind set.   You learn to accept that "one order" could take you weeks -- or even months -- to complete because it is an entire quarter section back to patent.   If you can be away from home for any length of time, it is a good option.