You may have heard of paralegals, but to many people, they are a little bit mysterious. Do they work at a law firm? Are they actually a lawyer? Can they provide legal advice? In reality, paralegals perform a wide variety of functions and help manage the case load in a number of different settings.
I’m working on my legal degree, and I interact with paralegals on a regular basis. They are essential parts of a law office. Here are a few places you might find someone who provides paralegal services:
- Law Offices
- Attorneys with Private Practices
- Government Agencies
- Corporations
Working directly under the supervision of an attorney, paralegals help to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate relevant facts related to specific cases. Paralegal services span a broad groundwork of legal services, including family law, personal injury law, and much more. Additionally, paralegals are bound to the same ethical and confidentiality standards as attorneys, but they do not provide direct legal advice, represent clients in court, or set legal fees.
As a future attorney, I will employ paralegals for their services, and I may also choose paralegals who are specialists with a narrow focus related to a specific field. The best part is that working with paralegals makes any legal team more efficient and helps them win cases when it really matters!
Have you ever met a paralegal? Do you have questions about paralegal services in different subject areas? Let me know what you think, and I’ll share my insight. Check back soon for the next post!