Business Law : Paralegals : Legal Advice :
Small Business
What Do Paralegals Do?
by Kent Pinkerton
Do you ever wish you could
hang out with the crew of Law & Order? Becoming a paralegal is one
way to enter the law. It will not be as glamorous as Law & Order, but
less glamour does not mean less prestige or satisfaction.
Paralegals make lawyers look
prepared. Also known as legal assistants, paralegals may work for a lawyer,
but they may also work for a corporation, the government, or any organization
that deals with the law. A beginning paralegal will probably spend most
of his or her time filing, photocopying, organizing papers and running
errands. But paralegals can also do some of the work resembles those exciting
crime dramas. Paralegals may help draft legal documents and interview witnesses.
The paralegal profession
developed during the 1960s, when people were trained to help lawyers in
order to provide legal services to those who could not typically afford
them. Paralegals support lawyers and are trained to help law offices run
smoothly.
Generally, there are two
types of paralegals: litigation and corporate. Litigation paralegals are
in charge of documents for trial cases. Most of the routine work that falls
to litigation paralegals involves ordering and indexing the huge of amount
of paper needed for trials: motions, briefs, depositions, etc. They also
interview witnesses, do research, and draft paperwork. Corporate paralegals,
on the other hand, spend most of their days organizing the paperwork associated
with business dealings. A corporate paralegal, much like a litigation paralegal,
makes sure the sets of paperwork are identical, ordering documents, and
photocopying them.
The educational background
of paralegal will help to determine the type of work he or she will be
doing. If, for example, a paralegal took social work classes in college,
she may have a better chance of working in a social justice firm or government
office firm. Paralegals with some medical knowledge might work for a malpractice
lawyer.
Though a paralegal’s work
may not always seem exciting, it is an excellent way to enter law, and
to see if law might be the right career. College graduates, including recent
graduates, in addition to those who have taken classes to become a certified
paralegal, all have a good chance at finding a paralegal job. Working as
a paralegal may help you get into law school and help you make powerful
connections with lawyers, businesspeople, or government officials. Even
if becoming a paralegal is not your dream job, it can still make for an
excellent entry into the professional world.
About the Author
Paralegals
Info provides detailed information about paralegal jobs, schools, training,
courses, certificates, and services. Paralegals Info is the sister site
of Notary Public Web.
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