Chapter One
Paralegal Responsiblities
A paralegal has a plethora of responsibilities, but it is essential that you understand that, as a paralegal, you cannot legally give out legal advice. That aside, paralegals perform as wide range of duties, including:
Writing court petitions
Filing court petitions
Interviewing clients
Interviewing witnesses
Writing and managing correspondence
Managing trial dockets
Attending depositions
Summarizing depositions
Drafting legal correspondence
Preparing documentation for trial
Obtain affidavits
Ensure all case documents are readily available for attorneys
This, of course, is only a partial list of the responsibilities of paralegals. Your responsibilities as a paralegal will largely depend on the type of firm for which you work. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. offers a free 65-page booklet “Paralegal Responsibilities” on its website that details the specific responsibilities for which paralegals are generally responsible in different types of legal arenas, including: alternative dispute resolution, appellate, bankruptcy, computer litigation support, criminal, domestic relations/family law, immigration, labor/employment, real property, tax, and workers’ compensation.
If you’re unsure of what area of law in which you’d like to work, peruse the booklet to get a better feel for what paralegals in the different arenas do and how much responsibility they really have.
You may also want to talk with paralegals in the particular legal concentration you’re considering. Check out the list of resources at the end of this ebook for links to organizations dedicated specifically to aiding paralegals and those considering a career as a legal assistant. You may also want to talk to your local community college, university, or other local institution that offers paralegal courses and ask to be connected to former students who are currently working in the field. One of the best ways to glean whether or not a particular career is for you is to talk to those who are actually working in the field.
In fact, before you go any further, you may want to consider shadowing a paralegal for a day or two. Shadowing is simply when you follow a paralegal on a typical business day. You’ll get to see what life is really like as a paralegal before you invest your time and money in getting the education, which we’ll discuss later in this ebook, you need to succeed as a paralegal.
Next: Chapter One: Ethical Considerations and what you cannot do as a paralegal
Previous: Chapter One: The Paralegal: an overview
Table of Contents for the Paralegal Career Guide:
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