Paralegals Duties

Behind 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 duties and skills of a paralegal. Paralegals must assist their attorneys in preparation for trials, draft of legal documents as well as have communication, writing, and organization skills.

(Transition: ) The duties of a paralegal are important enough to make failure not an option.

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I.

Gail Armatys, Co-Founder of Center for Advanced Legal Studies, stated that no day is exactly alike, and paralegals perform a variety of duties per day. All duties of a paralegal are highly important, two of the most important are assisting their attorney by preparing for trials and drafting important legal documents.

A. Paralegals must assist their attorneys in preparing for trials, hearings, and closings. They investigate the facts of the case, interview clients and witnesses, perform legal research, and organize exhibits, reenactments, or evidence. This helps an attorneys court hearing run smoothly.

B. Although attorneys are the only ones allowed to sign off on documents, paralegals are in charge of drafting, revising, and finalizing important legal documents. Like affidavits, agreements, contracts, deposition notices, and pleadings. Some types of pleadings are complaints, subpoenas, legal briefs, and pretrial orders. This helps an attorney save time from writing the documents and gives them more time to prepare for the case or legal proceeding.

(Transition: ) While the duties of a paralegal are highly important, their exceptional skills are what truly makes them