Paralegals assist lawyers in preparing for legal proceedings and can work in law firms, government agencies, or corporate legal departments. They can research laws, organize case documents, and prepare reports. Paralegals cannot perform certain tasks restricted to lawyers, but can specialize in areas such as litigation, corporate law, or real estate. They must have strong documentation, presentation, research, and investigation skills, as well as a solid understanding of legal terms and computer skills. Paralegal training programs may offer internships for practical experience.
Paralegals, or legal assistants, help attorneys prepare for hearings, trials, closings and corporate meetings. Most paralegals work for law firms, government agencies or corporate legal departments. A paralegal likely has a degree or certificate in paralegal studies, although many employers do not require certification.
Many tasks can be delegated to paralegals, including researching laws and court rulings related to a case. A paralegal can also organize case documents for an attorney and prepare reports for an attorney to use to make recommendations about a case. Paralegals can also prepare documents, such as motions and arguments, and can take depositions.
While assigned tasks vary depending on the type of position a paralegal works in, they can typically draft contracts, mortgages, and separation agreements. Other paralegals can help with estate planning or tax preparation services. By law, paralegals are not authorized to perform certain tasks restricted to attorneys, including presenting a case, providing legal advice and setting legal fees. The paralegal field is growing rapidly because it is more cost effective to use a paralegal than a lawyer for some tasks.
Many different areas of law are open to paralegals, including immigration, employment law, personal injury and criminal law. Some paralegals choose to specialize in a specific area, such as litigation, corporate law, bankruptcy or real estate. No matter what the area of law, paralegals perform most tasks in a law office or library.
A paralegal working in a corporate environment will likely perform different tasks than those working for a law firm or the government. In a corporation, paralegals may work on employee benefits or contracts, prepare annual reports or review government regulations. In a government agency, a paralegal may research laws or agency policies or regulations. If employed by a community service agency, a paralegal can prepare forms and documents for citizens who need legal assistance. In a company, paralegals may specialize in one area of the law or coordinate company employees.
A paralegal must have strong skills in documentation, presentation, research and investigation. In addition, paralegals must understand legal terms and have solid computer skills. Due to the nature of the work, a paralegal must also be ethical and function well with the public. In a paralegal training program, students learn to conduct legal research and use software programs with legal applications. Some paralegal programs offer an internship period during which the student gains useful experience in a legal office, department or organization.
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