A Legal Assistant, or Paralegal, is responsible for helping Lawyers and other legal professionals prepare for trials or court cases. Their duties include answering phone calls and greeting clients, contributing to fact-checking and compiling case evidence and communicating with court employees to confirm court dates.
The specific duties of a Legal Assistant will often depend on the needs of the law firm or the Lawyer they assist. However, Legal Assistants will often have the following responsibilities:
Legal Assistants typically work for law firms to provide administrative support to Lawyers and their clients. They oversee various clerical tasks, including making copies, sending emails, maintaining appointment schedules, processing client payments and organizing filing systems. Their job is to contact witnesses, record interviews with witnesses, review police reports and composing legal documents like contractual agreements or affidavits. They may also be responsible for assisting Lawyers in the courtroom by organizing documents and rehearse their statements before the start of a trial.
Legal Assistants will typically have certain prerequisite qualifications and skills, which include:
Legal Assistants make an average of $20.40 per hour nationally. Brandon Legal Group pays a competitive rate. Pay rate may vary depending on the education, experience level and geographical location of the Legal Assistant. The specific duties of the Legal Assistant and the type of legal work they do may also determine the pay rate. For example, an entry-level Legal Assistant who works for a smaller law firm that specializes in auto accidents can usually expect to earn less than an experienced Legal Assistant who works for a law firm with high-profile legal cases.
A minimum of an associate degree in paralegal studies is often required to work as a Legal Assistant. Some Legal Assistants may have a bachelor’s degree and some may be working toward entrance to law school. Many aspiring Lawyers or Paralegals will pursue employment as a Legal Assistant in preparation for a career as a Lawyer or Paralegal. Some hiring managers may prefer to hire a candidate without prior experience and then train them on the individual needs of the law firm while encouraging them to become certified as a Legal Assistant.
Whether or not previous legal experience is required to work as a Legal Assistant will depend on the individual needs of the law firm and its Lawyers. Larger law firms with many clients may prefer to hire a Legal Assistant who has previous experience in this role. Others may prefer to hire a Legal Assistant with previous experience in the same legal industry in which they work. Some Legal Assistants may transfer certain skills developed from one legal field to a new one.
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