"Paralegal Hiring Trends" Podcast

In the few decades of their formal existence, paralegals have become established members of the legal community. Interviewing clients, investigating facts, drafting documents and researching the law are typical tasks performed by paralegals under the supervision of an attorney. Paralegals, also known as legal assistants, work in private law firms, corporations, banks, insurance and real estate agencies, title companies, courts and government agencies. The undeniable cost efficiency of using paralegals has made this field one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States.

The American Bar Association has defined a paralegal as "a person, qualified by education, training or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible." Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

At the current time, paralegals are not licensed or regulated by any governmental entity. (California has a law specifying who may use the title of paralegal, and some other states have voluntary registration programs.) Employers therefore prefer paralegals who have obtained certain academic qualifications - usually a bachelor's degree and a paralegal certificate. The quality of the paralegal educational program is a key factor in preparation for this career. The most widely recognized indication of quality is approval by the American Bar Association, which specifies high standards for a paralegal program's curriculum, faculty, resources and student services.

Some typical responsibilities of three types of paralegals are described below.

Civil Litigation Paralegal   

• Assists with initial client interviews.
• Compiles factual information and coordinates factual investigation.
• Organizes and maintains client/case files and databases.
• Helps draft pleadings and other documents used in court proceedings.
• Organizes procedures for obtaining documents through discovery process.
• Reviews and indexes documents for document retrieval databases.
• Assembles exhibits for use in depositions and trials.
• Summarizes deposition and trial transcripts.
• Assists with trial preparation, including trial notebooks (indexes of pleadings, exhibit and witness files, jury instructions, etc.) and computerized presentations.
• Assists attorneys at trial, monitoring exhibits, witnesses, and equipment.
• Helps prepare settlement documents and releases.
• Organizes materials for appeals.

Corporate/Commercial Transactions Paralegal   

• Reviews and summarizes contract terms and conditions.
• Organizes and maintains contract files and databases.
• Helps draft contract provisions and other documents relating to contract administration.
• Coordinates corporate procedures for execution of contracts.
• Prepares documents for business entities: partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies.
• Reserves corporate names and prepares assumed name applications.
• Maintains corporate minute books, stock ledgers, and corporate seals.
• Drafts notices and resolutions for corporate directors’ meetings.
• Prepares documentation for shareholder meetings.
• Assists with due diligence for corporate mergers and acquisitions.
• Assists attorneys at transaction closings.
• Conducts UCC searches and drafts UCC financing statements.
• Prepares bankruptcy documents.

Corporate/Real Estate Paralegal   

• Reviews real estate purchase agreements and plans closing checklist.
• Collects documentation (e.g., surveys, title insurance, loan documentation, leases, corporate authorizations, condominium documents, tax and utility bills) for real estate transactions.
• Prepares deeds, escrow instructions, lease assignments, closing statements, and other transactional materials.
• Coordinates and assists attorneys with real estate closings.
• Coordinates recording of real estate documents.
• Coordinates corporate procedures for execution of real estate contracts.
• Prepares documents for business entities: partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies.
• Reserves corporate names and prepares assumed name applications.
• Maintains corporate minute books, stock ledgers, and corporate seals.
• Drafts notices and resolutions for corporate directors’ meetings.
• Prepares documentation for shareholder meetings.
• Assists with due diligence for corporate mergers and acquisitions.