major is Paralegal Studies and I expect to graduate with an Associates of Arts degree in December of this year. Many years ago, as an investigator for both a private company and a county agency, I was introduced to the legal field. Recently, I was awarded the opportunity to attend college, so I decided I wanted to reenter the legal profession as a paralegal. The paralegal profession appeals to me, because I enjoy the processes of developing a case, as well as its legal aspects. A paralegal is involved
stay informed of the constant changes of the law, that’s why lawyers need paralegals, who are professionals with legal proficiency, and are constantly acquiring new knowledge. The main role of a paralegal is to “help people”. Even though they might have some administrative tasks, paralegals are highly trained professionals who usually work for attorneys, and most of the time assume good part of the attorney’s workload. Paralegals are responsible for doing legal research to help lawyers preparing for
Paralegals are professionals who assist or support lawyers with their work (Westwood College). Supporting qualified lawyers includes a variety of tasks. When an attorney’s case goes to court, paralegals prepare motions and pleadings, in addition to organizing and cataloguing relevant trial documents (Westwood College). Paralegals also locate and interview witnesses; conduct investigations; conduct legal research; and summarize depositions, interrogatories and testimony (The National Association
According to the National Association of Legal Assistants “Paralegals, are a distinguishable group of persons who assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services. Through formal education, training and experience, legal assistants have knowledge and expertise regarding the legal system and substantive and procedural law which qualify them to do work of a legal nature under the supervision of an attorney.” In short, a paralegal is someone qualified to provide legal support under the direct supervision
learning how to become a paralegal, it is first important to define exactly what a paralegal is. A paralegal is an individual who works under the supervision of a licensed attorney and does a lot of the same tasks that a licensed attorney may do. While a paralegal may perform a lot of legal tasks such as research, citations, interviewing clients, it must be made clear that a paralegal is restricted from performing certain tasks reserved for licensed attorneys; for example, a paralegal may not give clients
every good attorney is a great paralegal. They are crucial in the legal system. A paralegal, qualified by education, is retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation or other entities to perform delegated substantive legal work assisting their attorney. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the education needed for an entry level position is an Associate Degree. Paralegals ensure that the office and cases are organized and running smoothly. As an aspiring paralegal I conducted research on the
Women Paralegals in Personal Injury Firm Not all legal work demands a law degree. Paralegals perform many of the same jobs as lawyers, with the exception of those that are considered to be practicing law. Due to the male dominance view within the law profession, there are more female paralegals than female lawyers (concept of gender inequity) (Diner, 1998). Even though, lawyers are held responsible for the legal work, they often assign many of their jobs to paralegals. Yet, they “can do most things…that
Paralegal Schools for a Promising Professional Career Paralegal schools offer a wonderful way to make a career that is exciting as well as rewarding. These schools give their graduates the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of career options in the field of law. Paralegal schools help you to gain basic knowledge as well as hand on experience. These schools teach you how to be a perfect legal assistant as well as provide a way to give you that knowledge one-on-one. In the current economic environment
Paralegals are employed in a wide variety of legal settings and play an ever-increasing role in the delivery of affordable and efficient legal services. However, regulation of paralegals has been non-existent or inconsistent, though the topic continues to be a significant issue. Across the country, paralegals advocate bar associations, state legislatures and courts to consider regulatory programs that go beyond merely defining the term "Paralegal." Federally required licensing of paralegals would
Virtual Paralegals can give lawyers the best of all solutions to the need for help” (Finkelstien, B. 2005 “Virtual Assistants” Broker Magazine, 44). Another article Outsourcing for Solos and Small firms: Virtual Paralegals states, “A virtual paralegal enables solos and small firms to take advantage of the economy that effective use of a paralegal can provide to a practice, on an as needed basis” (Price, C.2006 “Outsourcing comes of Age 27-28”). Even though virtual paralegals are on the horizon
Becoming a Paralegal Becoming a paralegal is a popular choice because it is a rewarding career that has many advantages. Paralegals develop an extensive knowledge base that can make them invaluable assets to the firms or organizations they work for. Moreover, paralegals have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work that helps others. Ultimately, being a paralegal is a beneficial position that now pays more than ever before and paves the way for career advancement. Stimulating Work Paralegals have
In the legal field of today a paralegal is a an essential part of any legal team in every field of law. Working on the team the paralegal brings many necessary skills and abilities to help their supervising attorney. If I was to work in a courtroom on a legal team I would want to work on the team of the attorney who is representing the plaintiff. I would want to work on this attorney's team because I think that as an attorney representing the client he is trying to help the client resolve a problem
the courtroom and serving up justice. What no one thinks of is the person that helped the lawyer get there, the paralegal that prepares the necessary documents, the paralegal that makes sure his or her attorney is at the right place at the right time. A paralegal is crucial and in some cases vital to our justice system yet they are so often over looked. To understand what a paralegal does we must first understand what the job of a lawyer entails. Black’s Law Dictionary defines a lawyer as “a person
Paralegals have become an essential part of today's legal system, and as the profession becomes one of the leading and fastest growing occupations in the U.S. economy; these individuals perform delegated tasks under the supervision of attorneys. Education has played an important part on this matter; it has facilitated this development by allowing lawyers to use these skills professionals as agents to delegate specific tasks such as legal research, gathering of information and the drafting of specific
skills could fall short and his ability to properly act on the behalf his the client will come into question. The essay will detail the general concept of attorney competence, disciplinary remedies in place to discourage this behavior, and what the paralegal can to maintain the integrate of the law office. West’s Encyclopedia of American defines competence as, “possession necessary reasoning abilities or legal qualification; qualified; capable; sufficient.” It is immediately presumed that an attorney
research becoming a paralegal because I love the idea of getting to help others and to be in a prestige working environment. I wanted to choose a career that allows me to use my skills and knowledge, as well as opportunities for growth. As a paralegal, I will be able to combine what I enjoy doing with what I want to do in the near future. This paper will explore the job description, requirements and salary expectation for a paralegal. First, the job description for a paralegal includes many components
Paralegal Studies Behind ever good lawyer, is a great paralegal. This is a term that most people have never heard of, but it is true. Paralegals are the driving force of what goes on behind the scenes of a law office. Without them, lawyers would not have any help and cannot do all the paperwork on their own. Getting into the paralegal field is a good idea because it is interesting, there are different specializations, it is attainable through an associate’s degree that can eventually turn into a
There are many Legal culture groups, so when joining or interviewing for a position insure you understand the following: Partner/Associate or Lawyer/Paralegal Ratio: For Lawyers law firms are either a Partnership or an Association. A partnership some Lawyers are partners with equal shares and blanket insurance, so if a partner fails a care it reflects on all partners, and associates carry their own insurance and are solely responsible for their failures. In an association, one Lawyer is the owner
A paralegal new to the field has many options as far as career opportunities. One major decision for a paralegal pursuing a career at a law firm is whether or not to seek employment at a small or large firm. Taking into consideration some of the pros and cons of both small and large firms will give oneself an understanding on which to set their criteria for their final decision. Law firms with 25 or fewer attorneys are usually considered small law firms. Since small laws firms out number larger
that could be delegated to a paralegal. What is a paralegal exactly is a question that is often asked. A paralegal by definition is “a person qualified by education, experience, training, or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, government agency, or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work, for which a lawyer is responsible (Miller, 2014).” So what exactly does that mean? A paralegal can perform many duties a lawyer