A legal assistant or paralegal as they are often called provide assistance to a lawyer or team of lawyers. The legal assistant or paralegal generally works under the direct supervision of a licensed attorney and typically does not have direct contact with consumers in the preparation of legal documents. Just as lawyers have specialties, legal assistants can develop specialties in estate planning, real estate, government, medical, corporate or criminal law, as examples, which mirror the needs of the lawyers they serve.
Typically there are several ways to become a legal assistant / paralegal. A two year Associates Degree from a local junior college is the typical avenue chosen by most people who want to be legal assistants. However people who already have college degrees may earn a certificate in paralegal studies to pursue a career in this field. There are a few colleges that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in paralegal studies. And lastly some attorneys train their own legal assistants with on the job training.
What does a Legal Assistant do?
The demand for legal assistants / paralegals has risen dramatically over the past decade as the cost of becoming a lawyer has increased and their subsequent billing rates have risen to a point that insurance companies as well as most consumers have refused to pay their hourly rate for certain kinds of tasks. Many task are procedural task that don't require the full training of a lawyer but are more complex than the skill set possessed by secretaries.
Most secretarial use in a legal office is not billed rather it becomes part of the overhead factored into the billing rate of the attorney. Therefore the use of a legal assistant / paralegal provides an opportunity for the attorney to bill for hours on tasks above the skill set of secretaries without billing their the attorney's full rate. The use of legal assistance / paralegals has reduced the rapidly rising cost of legal services while allowing the attorney to concentrate on more substantive legal issues of a case.
The most important skill a legal assistant / paralegal is organization. Among the many functions described below, all legal assistants must be able to document their searches, store the findings and retrieve those findings quickly. This requires both organized files as well as the use of computers. Internet research, spread sheet programs and data bases are all requirements of a legal assistant / paralegal and are necessary to store the vast amount of information that is reviewed and retained. As experience is gained and these collections of information grow the value of the legal assistant will also grow to his or her employer.
Attorneys legally have to assume ultimate responsibility for legal work under their supervision, however they often delegate tasks to legal assistants / paralegals. Under the direction of their supervisor they research legal proceedings to find legal precedence and findings of law that would be relevant to the cases they are assigned. If the case develops into a legal action the legal assistant can assist in the preparation of motions, pleadings and arguments which might be used in the case. Additionally the legal assistant / paralegal can prepare and help obtain affidavits and prepare motions for a trial.
A corporate legal assistant can assist with the preparation of annual reports, minutes of stockholders meeting, corporate resolutions, financial reports, etc. as well as act as document the findings and actions of meeting.
In criminal law the legal assistant may provide the same investigative and recording functions described for other specialties as well as develop the presentation of exhibits, participate in the preparation in the deposition of witnesses. The legal assistant is frequently a liaison between the court and the attorney in the exchange of information and documents.
A "Paralegal Nurse Consultant" is an extension of the legal assistant requiring specialized expertise. The medical profession has is own vernacular, abbreviations, concepts, terminology and symbols which requires a licensed nurse to translate for the legal professional. The "Paralegal Nurse Consultant" is in great demand by the legal profession and likely will be for the near future due to the large amount of legal proceedings revolving around today's medicine and health care.
A great deal of the legal assistant's time is in research. Online or in legal libraries the legal assistant will research the legal requirements and laws of different states, pleadings, findings, etc. looking for any historical precedence that would support the needs of a specific case. As legal assistants conduct this research they become proficient in specific areas and generally develop data bases of information, forms and references which helps expedite future research needs. The recommendations for computer skills are described further later in this discussion.
As you can tell from this brief description of the legal assistant / paralegal duties and functions, they can be very unique for a specific type of law practiced by the attorney they work for. However the skills developed in research, recording and retrieval of information are common to all. And once these skills are developed legal assistants frequently move from on speciality to another and rapidly become proficient in the new speciality.
How Much Do Legal Assistant / Paralegals Make?
According the the Bureau of Labor and Standards the median annual earnings for paralegals is between $33,920 and $54,690. The top 10 percent earned $67,540 and the bottom 10% earned $27,450 on an average.
Legal Assistants also receive paid vacations, health insurance, life insurance, paid sick leave, 401 saving plans, many receive dental insurance and reimbursement for continuing legal education.
These earnings and benefits vary greatly depending on education, experience, geographical area, area of specialty expertise, as well as type of law practiced. Often legal assistants receive bonuses to compensate them for working long hours on occasion.
What Skills or Qualities Do I need to Become a Legal Assistant?
Investigative, organized, task oriented individuals are best suited for this field. Reading and comprehension skills as well as computer literacy are skills used by legal assistants. Experience with computer spreadsheet programs and data bases are definite attributes which employers are looking for. Often employers are looking for experience in managing and coordinating with other people. The need for accuracy and thoroughness in a fast paced legal office will require all these skills to advance and succeed as a legal assistant.
What are Some Leading Organizations for Legal Assistants / Paralegals?
The American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc. offers the American Alliance Certified Paralegal credential. The credential requires five years of paralegal experience and meet an educational criteria. Certification requires 18 hours of continuing education and renewal every two years.
With a bachelor's degree and at least two years of experience with the passing of an exam the National Federation of Paralegal Association offers the Registered Paralegal registration. Re-certification requires 75 hours of continuing education.
Also the National Association of Legal Assistants offers "Certified Legal Assistant", "Certified Paralegal" and "Advanced Paralegal Certificate" for it's Internet based curriculum.
Certification is not required by any state however certification is a means for the employer to be assure of a specific level of competency.
What are the Top Cities for Legal Assistants / Paralegals?
The concentration of legal assistants / paralegals follows the concentration of attorneys in the US which in turn follows the demographics of population. Certainly concentrations are seen in New York, Boston, Washington, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. With the current need for paralegals / legal assistants nationwide opportunities should be available in all metropolitan areas.