What is a paralegal job description?

Asked by: Citlalli Bauch  |  Last update: February 19, 2022
Score: 4.4/5 (35 votes)

DEFINITION. The Paralegal (PL) assists with case planning, development, and management, legal research, interviews clients, gathers facts and retrieves information, drafts and analyzes legal documents and collects, complies and utilizes technical information, to make recommendations to an attorney.

What are 3 skills that a Paralegal should have?

8 Paralegal Skills Critical to Succeed
  • Communication: Effective communication is fundamental to law practice and is consistently taught in Blackstone Career Institute's online paralegal programs. ...
  • Writing: ...
  • Research and Investigative Skills: ...
  • Technology Skills: ...
  • Organization: ...
  • Multi-Tasking: ...
  • Teamwork: ...
  • Attention to Detail:

Is a Paralegal a stressful job?

Paralegals work notoriously long hours, and their tasks include everything from office management to doing case research and preparing and editing legal contracts and documents. ... In short, paralegals do difficult, challenging, and high-stakes work—with stress as the inherent outcome.

What do paralegals do on a daily basis?

On a daily basis, Paralegals and Legal Assistants prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system. They prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.

What qualifications do I need to be a paralegal?

You'll need:
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail.
  • the ability to read English.
  • excellent verbal communication skills.
  • excellent written communication skills.
  • administration skills.
  • the ability to work well with others.
  • legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations.

Paralegal Salary (2019) – Paralegal Jobs

31 related questions found

Can you be a paralegal without a degree?

You do not need a Law Degree to become a paralegal. However, many employers look for legal or paralegal training. There are specialist qualifications for paralegals, developed to give you the skills and knowledge to work effectively as a paralegal.

What are the benefits of being a paralegal?

Benefits of Becoming a Paralegal
  • It Offers You Career Longevity. ...
  • It Will Pay You Well. ...
  • It Sticks to a (Mostly) Predictable Work Schedule. ...
  • It Offers You the Prestige of Professional Certification. ...
  • It Provides You Recognition and Advancement. ...
  • It Offers You the Potential to Be Your Own Boss.

Is becoming a paralegal hard?

While the work can be intensive, getting a paralegal certificate altogether is not difficult. ... One may become a paralegal by working directly for a lawyer, by having an education in a field similar to that of a paralegal, such as Criminal Justice. One may become a paralegal by receiving certification or with a degree.

What is paralegal training?

It is a 'person trained in subsidiary legal matters but not fully qualified as a lawyer'. But if you ask me, there is a lot more to a paralegal than just the knowledge of legal matters. ... These identified volunteers are then trained to conduct field research and basic legal matters.

What fields do paralegals work in?

The different fields for paralegals to work in
  • Government. Whether employed by local, state, or federal government law offices, government paralegals are the types of paralegals who assist government legal counsel. ...
  • Family practice. ...
  • Criminal Law. ...
  • Divorce. ...
  • Real estate. ...
  • Legal staffing recruiter.

What is the difference between law clerk and paralegal?

Both may work for law firms, but law clerks more often serve under judges, providing counsel and support. Paralegals work under the supervision of an attorney, but can not offer legal advice.

How do paralegals succeed?

An indispensable paralegal has an ability to multitask, a strong attention to detail, a willingness to learn, an expertise in organization, and psychic abilities.
  1. Ability to multitask. ...
  2. Strong attention to detail. ...
  3. Willingness to learn. ...
  4. Expertise in organization. ...
  5. Psychic abilities.

Can a paralegal become a lawyer?

Paralegals can become lawyers by attending law school and passing the bar exam just like anyone else who aspires to become a lawyer. As paralegals, these types of professionals spend a lot of time assisting lawyers in their work.

What does paralegal mean in law?

A paralegal is a highly-valued member of a legal team that has extensive knowledge of the law and legal matters, but is not a qualified lawyer. ... A paralegal's role is to support lawyers in their work and they can choose to specialise in a specific area of the law.

Are paralegals mostly female?

72.8% of all Paralegals are women, while 22.9% are men. The average age of an employed Paralegal is 45 years old. The most common ethnicity of Paralegals is White (65.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.3%) and Black or African American (8.9%).

Is a paralegal career worth it?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs for paralegals and legal assistants is expected to rise by 10 percent from 2019 to 2029, twice as fast as jobs for lawyers. Simply put, legal labor is cheaper when it's done by paralegals. ... Still, paralegals earn above-average salaries.

How do I know if paralegal is right for me?

Here are some of the qualities a good paralegal should have:
  • You must love research. ...
  • You must be organized. ...
  • You must work well with limited supervision. ...
  • You must work well under pressure. ...
  • You must have good people skills.

What does a paralegal apprentice do?

If you take the Paralegal Apprenticeship you'll carry out tasks such as managing data and records, drafting legal documents and client correspondence, carrying out legal research, attending court hearings where appropriate, handling sensitive information and communicating with internal and external clients.

What is an attorney called?

A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters. Today's lawyer can be young or old, male or female.

Which type of paralegal makes the most money?

Corporate Paralegal

Another of the highest-paid paralegal positions is a corporate paralegal. Corporate paralegals usually work in the legal departments of large companies. They help attorneys make sure the organization's business and hiring practices all adhere to the law.

What are your weaknesses paralegal?

Weakness Questions

A paralegal job, for instance, requires someone with good organizational skills and attention to detail. If you note that organization skills are a weakness in your interview, you likely wouldn't get the job because this is a key trait.

Do paralegals make mistakes?

Typical mistakes made by new - and experienced - paralegals include misfiling documents, missing deadlines due to poor calendaring practices, failing to proofread for typos, inaccurately recording billable time, and coming to client meetings unprepared.

Is a legal secretary a lawyer?

A career as a Legal Secretary is an excellent steppingstone into the legal profession which does not require qualifying as a Legal Executive or Solicitor. However, it is still a demanding and fast-paced job that requires excellent organisation, communication, and administrative skills.

How much do paralegals make in Toronto?

The average salary for a paralegal is $46,998 per year in Toronto, ON.

What is a law clerk for a firm?

A law clerk or a judicial clerk is an individual—generally an attorney—who provides direct assistance and counsel to a judge in making legal determinations and in writing opinions by researching issues before the court.