Duties Of A Paralegal
What are the duties of a paralegal? A paralegal is not a lawyer, but considered a type of lawyer assistant. This simply means that the worker cannot perform any official work as an expert of the law. Rather, he or she is performing tasks helpful to a lawyer. In addition, other financial, commercial or research companies can hire paralegals for non-lawyer legal assistance. Now that you understand what exactly a paralegal is, it's time to discuss what a paralegal usually does.
The duties of a paralegal involve many delegated tasks that a lawyer ordinarily would do, but doesn't have time for. These duties might include helping lawyers prepare for court cases, whether hearings, trials or closings. For example, a paralegal might be asked to investigate the facts of a case and ensure that all information is accounted for and included. A paralegal might also be asked to identify information regarding laws, past judicial precedents or legal articles (a lawyer can't be expected to memorize every case decision ever reached!)
The duties of a paralegal might also include preparing written reports for the attorney's use, as well as organizing and keeping track files of important case documents. Paralegals are also expected to draft pleadings and motions and obtain affidavits. As you can see, a paralegal is something more than a secretary or an assistant, though that is it the official status of such a job. A paralegal actually gets involved in the prosecution or defense process, at least outside of the courtroom. A paralegal isn't limited to court cases, however. He or she might also have to draft contracts and agreements and prepare tax returns, along with other paperwork that might include handling financial records of the firm.
Duties of a paralegal can differ according to the type of firm, lawyer or company they work for. Some experienced corporate paralegals may even have the authority to supervise other workers and oversee team projects. Paralegals are actually found in practically all types of organizations, as practically every major company has need of legal services, which may or may not require a lawyer to handle (for instance, legal research can be performed by a freelance paralegal or lawyer's office).
Paralegals may not be able to serve in a legal capacity, but they are still an important part of a lawyer's team and do play a major factor in winning (or losing) a case!