PARALEGALS AND LEGAL ASSISTANTS Lawyers delegate many of their tasks to paralegals. In fact, paralegals—also called legal assistants—are continuing to assume a growing range of tasks in legal offices and perform many of the same tasks as lawyers. In fact, paralegal is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. through the next ten years. Employment will grow much faster than average, as employers and clients try to reduce legal costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers. Nevertheless, paralegals are explicitly prohib- ited from carrying out duties considered to be the practice of law, such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice, and presenting cases in court. Paralegal education can vary from two months to four years. Certification is not required, but it will increase job prospects. Most entrants have an associate degree in paralegal studies, or a bache- lor’s degree coupled with a certificate in paralegal studies. One of a paralegal’s most important tasks is helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Paralegals might investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all rel- evant information is considered. They also identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases. After they analyze and organize the information, paralegals may prepare written reports that attorneys use in determining how cases should be handled. If attorneys decide to file lawsuits on behalf of clients, paralegals may help prepare the legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits, and assist attorneys during trials. Paralegals also organize and track files of all important case documents and make them available and easily accessible to attorneys. In addition to this preparatory work, paralegals
perform a number of other functions. For example, they help draft contracts, mortgages, and separation agreements. They also may assist in preparing tax returns, establishing trust funds, and planning estates. Some paralegals coordinate the activities of other law office employees and maintain financial office records. Paralegals frequently use computer databases to retrieve, organize, and index various materials. Paralegals are found in all types of organiza- tions, but most are employed by law firms, corporate
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legal departments, and various government offices. In these organi- zations, they can work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate. As the law becomes more complex, para- legals become more specialized. Within specialties, functions are often broken down further. For example, paralegals specializing in labor law may concentrate exclusively on employee benefits. In small and medium-size law firms, duties are often more general. The tasks of paralegals differ widely according to the type of organization for which they work. The duties of paralegals who work in the public sector usually vary by agency. In general, litiga- tion paralegals analyze legal material for internal use, maintain ref- erence files, conduct research for attorneys, and collect and analyze evidence for agency hearings. They may prepare informative or explanatory material on laws, agency regulations, and agency poli- cy for general use by the agency and the public. Paralegals employed in community legal-service projects help the poor, the aged, and others who are in need of legal assistance. They file forms, conduct research, prepare documents, and, when authorized by law, may represent clients at administrative hearings. Paralegals who work for law firms sometimes work very long hours when under pressure to meet deadlines.
There are several ways to become a paralegal. The most com- mon is through a community college paralegal program that leads to an associate degree. Another common method of entry, mainly for those who already have a college degree, is earning a certificate in paralegal studies. A small number of schools offer a bachelor’s and master’s degree in paralegal studies. Finally, some employers train paralegals on the job.
Associate and bachelor’s degree programs usually combine paralegal training with courses in other academic subjects. Certificate programs vary significantly, with some only taking a few months to complete. Most certificate programs provide intensive paralegal training for individuals who already hold college degrees. Although most employers do not require certification, earning it may offer advantages in the labor market. There are various cer- tification programs from a few different professional paralegal organizations. Certification generally involves a combination of edu- cation, experience and testing.
Any training program usually includes courses in legal research and the legal applications of computers. Many paralegal training
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