Paralegals go by several different names such as legal assistant, law clerks, legal aides, legal para-professionals, law clerks and legal researchers.
From the different names, it is quite clear that they work in the legal sector doing different things such as researching, clerking and generally assisting.
So What Is A Paralegal?
A paralegal is basically a lawyer’s assistant. The paralegal will carry out duties that a lawyer would normally carry out.
By carrying out these duties, the lawyer’s time is freed up to concentrate on other duties.
The tasks a paralegal undertakes in assisting a lawyer will be wide ranging.
The only tasks a paralegal cannot aid a lawyer in is the practice of law which includes setting legal fees, legally representing someone in a court of law, giving legal advice and appending a signature to legal documents.
A paralegal’s duties will vary depending on the work setting and the size of the firm.
Majority of paralegals work in private law firms but there are employment opportunities for paralegals in other sectors such as government, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and in corporate bodies.
Government bodies that hire paralegals include the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board and the Social Security Administration.
The biggest government employer is the Department of Justice. Paralegals working for the Department of Justice will have very similar duties as those in private firms.
A paralegal working in a small private practice will typically have a wider list of duties and responsibilities than the one working at a large practice which possibly has many paralegals on staff.
The type of duties will largely be dependent on the firm or on the type of business the firm specializes in.
What Is A Paralegal – Typical Duties
A standard paralegal job description will include duties such as carrying out law research, investigating facts of a case, gathering material witnesses, drafting legal documents, filing court documents, interviewing witnesses, maintaining client files and documents, maintaining the law library, preparing court exhibits, completing tax returns, correspondence, answering telephones, writing reports and other clerical duties.
Newbie paralegals will quite often start doing the repetitive, routine and clerical work.
With more experience they will begin to work on more complex tasks with little or no supervision.
Some people work as paralegals with little or no paralegal training.
However statistics show that majority of paralegals have attended paralegal school and gotten some qualifications.
You can get a certificate, associate degree, a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree in paralegal studies.
Hopefully this answers the question: What is a paralegal?