Paralegal Assistant
A Paralegal Assistant is a legal practitioner who performs legal support services under the supervision of a licensed attorney.
- Context:
- They can (typically) have Higher Education such as a Paralegal Certificate or College Degree.
- They can (typically) have knowledge of Legal Concepts and Legal Procedures.
- They can perform Legal Tasks like Legal Investigation, Legal Discovery, Legal Motion drafting, Document Review, and Pretrial Preparation.
- They can conduct Legal Research and draft Legal Documents like briefs, memos, and motions.
- They can range from being a Law Firm Paralegal to being a Corporate Legal Department Paralegal to being a Government Agency Paralegal.
- They can operate more independently than Legal Assistants but under attorney supervision.
- They can draft Settlement Agreements, interview Clients and Witnesses, and appear at Legal Proceedings.
- They can analyze Case Materials, develop theories, and strategize for Litigation.
- They can leverage Legal Knowledge and Analytical Skills for Transactional Casework.
- ...
- Examples:
- a Litigation Paralegal who supports attorneys during Lawsuits by organizing case files, drafting pleadings, assisting with discovery, and preparing for Trials.
- a Corporate Paralegal who assists with Corporate Transactions, prepares Contracts, maintains Corporate Records, and ensures compliance with Corporate Laws and regulations.
- a Real Estate Paralegal who drafts and reviews Real Estate Documents like purchase agreements, leases, and Title Searches, and assists with Property Closings.
- an Intellectual Property Paralegal who assists with Patent Applications, Trademark Registrations, Copyright Filings, and IP Litigation.
- a Family Law Paralegal who drafts Divorce Petitions, Child Custody Agreements, Adoption Papers, and supports attorneys during Family Court Proceedings.
- an Immigration Paralegal who prepares Visa Applications, Asylum Petitions, Green Card paperwork, and assists with Deportation Defense.
- a Personal Injury Paralegal who gathers medical records, communicates with insurance companies, drafts demand letters, and prepares exhibits for Personal Injury Trials.
- ...
- Counter-Examples:
- A Licensed Lawyer who can provide Legal Advice and Legal Representation independently.
- A Notary Public who can witness signatures and administer oaths but cannot perform substantive legal work.
- A Legal Secretary who performs mainly clerical and administrative tasks in a law office.
- A Contract Manager who oversees the contracting process but does not necessarily have paralegal training or perform paralegal duties.
- A Compliance Officer who ensures organizational compliance with laws and regulations but is not directly involved in legal casework.
- A Law Librarian who manages legal resources and assists with legal research but does not draft legal documents or assist with case preparation.
- A Legal Translator who translates legal documents between languages but does not engage in legal analysis or casework.
- A Mediator who facilitates dispute resolution but does not represent parties or prepare legal filings.
- A Court Reporter who transcribes legal proceedings but does not assist attorneys with case preparation or legal research.
- See Also: Bar Exam, Entry-Level Job, ABA, Legal Research, Court Officer, License to Practice Law, Entry-Level Job, American Bar Association, Legal Research, Legislative Assistant, Officer of The Court.
References
2023
- (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/paralegal Retrieved:2023-8-1.
- A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals is broad, including consultancies, companies that have legal departments or that perform legislative and regulatory compliance activities in areas such as environment, labor, intellectual property, zoning, and tax. Legal offices and public bodies also have many paralegals in support activities using other titles outside of the standard titles used in the profession . There is a diverse array of work experiences attainable within the paralegal (legal assistance) field, ranging between internship, entry-level, associate, junior, mid-senior, and senior level positions.
In the United States in 1967, the American Bar Association (ABA) endorsed the concept of the paralegal and, in 1968, established its first committee on legal assistants.
The exact nature of their work and limitations that the law places on the tasks they are allowed to undertake vary between nations and jurisdictions. Paralegals generally are not allowed to offer legal services independently in most jurisdictions. In some jurisdictions, paralegals can conduct their own business and provide services such as settlements, court filings, legal research and other auxiliary legal services; these tasks often have instructions from a solicitor attached.
In the United States, a paralegal is protected from some forms of professional liability under the theory that paralegals are working as an enhancement of an attorney, who takes ultimate responsibility for the supervision of the paralegal's work and work product. Paralegals often have taken a prescribed series of courses in law and legal processes. Paralegals may analyze and summarize depositions, prepare and answer interrogatories, draft procedural motions and other routine briefs, perform legal research and analysis, legislative assistance (legislative research), draft research memos, and perform some quasi-secretarial or legal secretarial duties, as well as perform case and project management. Paralegals often handle drafting much of the paperwork in probate cases, divorce actions, bankruptcies, and investigations. Consumers of legal services are typically billed for the time paralegals spend on their cases. In the United States, they are not authorized by the government or other agency to offer legal services (including legal advice) except in Washington State in the same way as lawyers, nor are they officers of the court, nor are they usually subject to government-sanctioned or court-sanctioned rules of conduct. In some jurisdictions (Ontario, Canada, for example) paralegals are licensed and regulated the same way that lawyers are and these licensed professionals may be permitted to provide legal services to the public and appear before certain lower courts and administrative tribunals.
- A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals is broad, including consultancies, companies that have legal departments or that perform legislative and regulatory compliance activities in areas such as environment, labor, intellectual property, zoning, and tax. Legal offices and public bodies also have many paralegals in support activities using other titles outside of the standard titles used in the profession . There is a diverse array of work experiences attainable within the paralegal (legal assistance) field, ranging between internship, entry-level, associate, junior, mid-senior, and senior level positions.