How to Work as a Legal Assistant

Find out what paralegals do, where they work, how much money they earn, and what education you need to get in this area. Discover the exact skills you`ll learn in class, the natural traits you need to succeed, and the most common pros and cons of living in a law firm. Management of a law firm (receipt, management of client records, communications and billing) The American Bar Association (ABA) defines a paralegal as a person “qualified by education, training or work experience, who is hired or hired by a lawyer, law firm, corporation, government agency or other entity, and who performs specifically delegated material legal work for which a lawyer is responsible”. The term “legal assistant” was removed from the definition in 1997 to more accurately describe the type of work performed by paralegals. Sharon Miki writes for Clio on legal technology and legal affairs. As an experienced freelance writer and professional writer, she is passionate about creating fascinating, useful and well-researched articles. According to Payscale, the starting salaries of paralegals are about $35,000 – with experience up to about $60,000. This is consistent with the Job Bank`s employment report for legal assistants in Winnipeg. Since paralegals often work in quick situations and may have to deal with multiple cases at once, it is important to plan and manage time effectively. Some paralegals manage multiple schedules and should be able to maintain each of them accurately. As a legal assistant, I provide daily administrative support to a group of lawyers. The firm I work for consists of more than 800 lawyers and therefore the legal assistants are divided into “shares”. Each action consists of one to three legal assistants who support eight to thirteen lawyers in their share.

As legal professionals, lawyers often don`t have time to keep up with the latest technologies. As a result, paralegals typically take care of a variety of tasks, from creating presentations to holding video conferences to backing up files. Legal assistants with knowledge of Microsoft Office, legal software, and document management systems have an advantage over their less tech-savvy counterparts. In addition, paralegals may want to encourage continuous technological upgrades to keep their offices competitive with other emerging companies. Legal assistants must have oral and written communication skills to draft legal documents and present information to lawyers. They also often work with external firms, clients and courthouse representatives to plan hearing dates and hearings. Since paralegals are responsible for research, strong analytical skills are required. You need to know how to search for information, identify reliable sources, and distinguish relevant facts. Especially if they are working on a case or with a lawyer, they need to know when to intervene and when to resign. Ultimately, the critical thinking skills of a talented legal assistant can be an incredible resource. You can work for a law firm that specializes in a specific area of law, such as corporate law or family law.

Or you can broaden your scope and work for a law firm that practices multiple areas of law. The choice is yours. Legal assistants also work closely with lawyers. However, you are not allowed to do as much in-depth legal work as a paralegal. The salaries of the legal assistant vary according to his or her training and experience. The BLS does not distinguish between the salaries of paralegals and paralegals in its report above, but the BLS gives an average salary of $51,740 for both professions. The average salary of a legal assistant varies depending on the size and type of law firm, the person`s experience, and the location of the firm. Since paralegals are usually beginners, employers often pay by the hour. Most paralegals are full-time employees, although some may find part-time or contract positions. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click the Salary link. While these statistics give a general idea of the average salary of a paralegal, it is important to note that the BLS does not distinguish between the two roles. But Indeed data shows that paralegals tend to earn less per year than paralegals.

The average annual salary of a paralegal in the United States is $44,229, compared to $51,239 for a paralegal. We often consider lawyers to be the most common professionals in the legal field. However, lawyers work with a team of specialized professionals, including paralegals and legal assistants who help in various roles. The work of legal assistants covers a lot of ground. and that`s how your training will take place. Most legal assistant programs last 1 year or less, but they are quite intense. If you`ve ever wondered, “What is a legal assistant?” While the term may seem self-explanatory, paralegals are not the same as paralegals. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) notes that, unlike lawyers, paralegals are not able to represent clients or provide legal advice (PDF, 247 KB).

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