The usual court proceedings are carried out between the lawyers, their clients, and judges. However, this is not the big picture. Several other people play a key role in supporting and streamlining the legal processes.
Paralegals, legal assistants, and other staff members work behind the scenes to make legal proceedings easier. Whether it is a law firm or a corporate legal department, their legal tasks are assigned to various people.
While lawyers handle in-court proceedings, paralegals and legal assistants assist them. Their responsibilities overlap, which is why they are often grouped together. But they shouldn’t be.
Paralegals and legal assistants differ from each other in some ways. Let’s read ahead and uncover these differences.
Legal assistants, also known as legal secretaries, collaborate with lawyers to provide legal and administrative support. Legal assistants are expected to undertake the following tasks for a law firm.
Conducting comprehensive legal research.
Drafting and proofreading legal paperwork.
Collecting and sorting legal documents like evidence.
Managing client’s billing
Maintaining filing systems
Maintaining the lawyer’s calendar and schedules
Coordinating with clients and witnesses.
What is a Paralegal, and What Do They Do?
A paralegal has a slight difference in responsibilities as compared to a legal assistant. For example, a paralegal caters to a wider need for a lawyer. A paralegal has the following roles and responsibilities!
Investigating the case and evidence
Conducting legal research
Managing client communications and keeping them updated.
Conducting interviews with the clients and witnesses.
Attending legal proceedings with the lawyers.
Demonstrating exhibits used in court
Assisting at closing and trials
The responsibilities of legal assistants and paralegals seem a lot similar. However, a paralegal has to get a specialized education, like a college degree.
On the other hand, a legal assistant does not go to a law school. They can simply begin with a high school diploma.
Right now, the demand for both professionals is high in the market. As per stats, the need for paralegals will be high in the next decade. There will be around 38,000 job openings for paralegals. Moreover, the legal assistants and paralegal professions are expected to grow by 14% between 2022 to 2032.
If we talk about choosing between the two, it entirely depends on
Individual preferences
Educational background
Job market trends
Educational Requirements for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Wondering about whether to become a paralegal or legal assistant and how to become one?
Let’s discuss the educational requirements first:
To become a legal assistant, the candidate needs to have at least a high school diploma. Furthermore, there is no special experience required.
On the other hand, if a candidate wants to be a paralegal, they need to have an ABA-approved bachelor’s degree or an associate degree.
Besides, some law firms like Battle Born Injury Lawyers might have different educational criteria when hiring a legal assistant or a paralegal. For example,
Some might require a paralegal to have an ABA-approved certification. It is not necessary, but it boosts the odds of getting a better job. The candidate can choose from Certified Paralegal (CP), Professional Paralegal (PP), or American Alliance Certified Paralegal (AACP) certifications.
Based on the type of business, paralegal candidates might be expected to have a degree in a specific subject. These can be criminal law, immigration, family law, real estate, etc.
Further, if a candidate wants to be a paralegal, they should complete an internship at a law firm.
Job Requirements for Legal Assistants vs. Paralegals
Well, as per stats, the increase in the salary of a paralegal is 7% in the last five years. Currently, the average salary of a paralegal at Zayed Law Offices stands at $49,943. Now, if someone wants to avail the pros of being a paralegal, there are certain necessary skills on the job.
Detail-oriented
A legal assistant and a paralegal have to be super careful about the details. A single error in the client’s information can lead to losing the entire case pretty quickly.
Time management
As a paralegal or a legal assistant can deal with several clients at the same time, they need to have time management skills. They need to prioritize tasks and manage them effectively.
Legal proceedings may have a lot of technicalities and important factors involved. Therefore, a paralegal and legal assistant must have research skills to absorb important information from complex data.
Organizational skills
Legal documents can be complex and high in numbers. Therefore, a legal assistant and a paralegal should have the expertise to organize and manage them. They should be proficient in managing calendars, tracking important dates, and meeting deadlines.
Critical thinking
A legal assistant and a paralegal should have critical thinking skills. A legal case requires absolute critical thinking and analytical skills for presentation.
Besides, there are certain other specialized skills that a paralegal and a legal assistant need to have for a job. Here are some of them!
Legal discovery
Legal pleading
Proofreading
Legal deposition
Legal hearing
Similarities Between A Legal Assistant and A Paralegal
Well, there are some similarities between a legal assistant and a paralegal.
First, most of the job responsibilities coincide with each other.
Second, most of the small law firms combine these roles and a single individual performs the tasks of both.
Due to similarities in the roles and responsibilities, the federal government has clubbed these profiles in their reports.
Conclusion
In the end, whether you are a legal assistant or a paralegal, you are bound to get a job. As the scope of both profiles is huge, choosing between them depends on how much a person wants to earn. As a paralegal, one can earn more while the educational qualifications required are also high, especially if you want to work in a prestigious organization.
On the other hand, most of the small firms go for a legal assistant due to budget constraints. Moreover, a fresher legal assistant gets to learn a lot in a startup.
