A paralegal is also known as a legal assistant. Paralegals who work in law firms assist lawyers in their day to day schedule. While their tasks vary depending on the exact purpose for which they were hired, most paralegals help maintain the lawyer’s calendar of activities, do some legal research, and prepare legal and file court forms. Some paralegals are tasked with the responsibility of pre-screening or interviewing the client. This task is limited to extracting information from a client; a paralegal is not allowed to give his legal take on the matter, whether it be in the form of an advice or an opinion. All these sounds interesting to you and you want to be a paralegal. First of all you must have interest in the law in general. Secondly, you should be able to identify the exact area of law that you would like to focus on (example: family law). Study your state laws on this area of law. Take note that state laws vary so be sure that you learn the laws that are specific to your state (example: family law in the State of Washington). Knowledge on a specific area of law is important because lawyers have specializations, and when you apply for a job as a paralegal, you will want to make sure that your knowledge and their specialization match. A perfect match means better chances of getting hired for the job. You can learn more about your state law by reading books from your local library or university, online sources, or take short courses to get a feel of the law while you are still discerning whether you want to pursue a career as a paralegal. Familiarize yourself with English and Latin legal terms/jargon. If you are dead set on being a paralegal, aside from teaching yourself about the law during your free time, you can enroll in a paralegal program. Various paralegal programs are accredited by the American Bar Association and/or the Distance Education and Training Council, your state bar association, or your regional paralegal accrediting body. Online reviews are aplenty and in all likelihood, you will find reviews from current and previous students of the paralegal program of your choice. It is not enough that you know the applicable laws in your area of specialization and jurisdiction. A paralegal is expected to be skilled in legal research and legal writing. Legal research is more than typing key words in a Google search bar. You are expected to know the primary and secondary sources of law repositories (case material and relevant statutes) and this is done in a methodical manner. Likewise, there is more to legal writing than filling the blanks that you see in legal forms sold in office supply stores like Staples. A proficient paralegal is able to customize legal forms according to the specific needs of the law firm’s client. Paralegals perform clerical and administrative duties too, they answer the phone and take messages, make copies of documents, and maintain files, among other duties. That being said, a paralegal must be comfortable using a computer, fax and copying machines, copiers, telephones, etc. There are law firms that require their paralegals to be computer savvy and familiar with software applications such as billing programs, database management, spreadsheets, and word processing. As you will observe, comprehension skills are a must – reading, writing, speaking, and listening – if you are to be a paralegal. Typing skills and good grammar should go hand in hand. Multi-tasking is part of the job; hence, you should be able to manage your time wisely. Interpersonal skills is a plus as you will be dealing with the law firms clients; in all likelihood you are the first person they get to see and talk to before they get their one-on-one session with the lawyer. Whether you decide to be employed by a law firm or start your own paralegal office in your area, keep in mind that legal learning is a continuing process. Why? Because the law evolves. For example, domestic partnership may be taboo in you state right now, but next year, it could be legalized. Keep yourself updated, monitor your local news. Now that you know what it takes to be a paralegal, get started and maintain a calendar so you can see how you are progressing from day to day. Good luck! This blog is not legal advice, but shares information on the law. We are living in hard times; people lose their jobs and many are struggling to make ends meet. Legalbargain.net gives back to society by sharing it’s knowledge and producing advocacy videos to put justice within the reach of those who believe justice is only for those with money.
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