| What do Paralegals/Legal Assistants do on a daily basis?

What do Paralegals/Legal Assistants do on a daily basis?

GoBuckeyes! asked:


I’m thinking about getting my degree to me one. So I’m just wondering what a day in the life of one is.

Thanks!

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Comments

3 Responses to “What do Paralegals/Legal Assistants do on a daily basis?”

  1. TinaM on May 13th, 2009 7:25 am

    Paralegals tasks have evolved to include more litigation technology such as electronic trial presentations and electronic discovery. It’s fast paced and it’s never a dull moment with all the new emerging technology and interesting case load. The job may also include assisting with investigations, conducting legal research, writing, digesting transcripts, case management, maintaining databases, etc. Many paralegals attend continuing education and seminars to keep abreast of the latest in the field. If you are considering this field, it’s very important to not only master paralegal studies but also technology.

  2. Sara on May 15th, 2009 1:44 am

    Well, it depends on what sort of law you go into working as a paralegal. Like, I used to do immigration law, and that was a lot of filling out templates and forms. Now I do mainly litigation, some bankruptcy and some criminal defense. With litigation and bankruptcy, there are more deadlines, more paper work, etc. And with the criminal defense, you never know what will happen next, but it’s interesting.

    Regardless of what type of law you go into, it will be fun. You’ll learn more on the job, but having an education does give you some edge as to what basic knowledge you need to know before entering the field, such as preparing pleadings and stuff like that.

    It’s a fun job, but an extremely busy job. Trust me, you do alot of the work for the attorneys so they can review and sign off on them. It’s tedious at times, but it’s well worth it!

    Good Luck!!!!!

  3. vicseo on May 17th, 2009 12:13 am

    The opportunities for a paralegal really depends on the specialty. The most in demand paralegals are those in the litigation field; followed by corporate paralegals who are responsible for maintaining corporate records, articles of incorporation, etc. While the “least” markeable [but the "highest" paid] paralegals are in the field of intellectual property [i.e., patents, trademarks] and immigration law. In conclusion, choose your paralegal courses accordingly, with emphasis on litigation preparation [discovery], docketing/calendaring of incoming pleadings [calendaring] and trial preparation [creating Exhibit tabs, Bajii jury instructions, etc.]. The “pro” side of a litigation paralegal is often “unlimited” overtime which can amount to a high salary range of $65,000 to $75,000 per year, while the “downside,” being constantly pressured to meet a monthly client billable quota. And failing to meet that quota, often results in the paralegal’s overnight dismissal. It’s not a pretty picture. I just want to lay out what really happens in the real world of litigators and their relationship with subordinate paralegals.

    Good luck!