How Paralegals Can Make a Difference in a Practice

The Paralegal Difference

While paralegals are recognized as important in law firms, only a few people know how they actually work to improve a legal practice. More often than not, they are often thought of as secretaries or administrative assistants.

For starters, paralegals are professionals who have educational qualifications and proper training to carry out the assignments given by an attorney.

The Tasks of a Paralegal

In essence, paralegals carry out substantive legal work that is also done by attorneys. There is one condition, however: they can do any legal work, as long as it is supervised and authorized by the attorney.

For instance, paralegals can handle the documents of a case. Attorneys can authorize them to review and organize the files of the clients. Moreover, they assist their attorneys for trials and hearings. A substantial part of this includes the legal research and collecting important pieces of information relevant to the case. Once done with these things, the paralegal creates a report that the attorney will use as a reference.

When it comes to collecting information, paralegals may be assigned to interview clients. They may also be assigned to locate and speak with the witness. Another important duty of a paralegal is to draft legal documents, which may include correspondences, legal briefs, and other notices.

How They Improve the Practice

Looking at the typical duties of paralegals above, you can easily say that they can help lower the overall expenses of the firm. More importantly, they can help save time, especially when an attorney is handling complex and peculiar cases.

With tasks delegated to paralegals, attorneys can give more focus to other important aspects of running the firm. Attorneys can also use their services when providing pro bono services.

Knowing all these things may inspire you to become a paralegal. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a paralegal, be sure to get in touch with us here at CLS by BARBRI.