Everyone deserves some form of help and legal practitioners are not left behind. Paralegals give the right support to a legal team.
In a paralegal job description, details of the job role, necessary skills and qualifications are listed. This profession is a good one for individuals who wish to work in the legal field but are not qualified lawyers.
Paralegals are vital integral parts of the legal team. And, it is important they have extensive knowledge of the law and legal matters.
In this article, different paralegal job description templates are available for download.
This article answers numerous questions pertaining to this job role. The table of contents below highlights vital points.
Table of contents
Why a Paralegal Job Description?
Aspiring to be part of a legal team is great. However, dreams may not come through always.
If you have some hindrance going to a law school, becoming a paralegal would soothe the pain.
The paralegal job description clarifies the role of a paralegal. It separates the job of a paralegal and a lawyer in a legal team.
A glance through a paralegal job description reveals to job seekers if they are a perfect fit or not. Job descriptions for a paralegal are concise and straight to the point.
It houses the exact need of an employer. Skills, qualifications, duties and paralegal salary are subsections in a paralegal job description.
What Exactly Does a Paralegal Do?
The exact job of a paralegal is to assist lawyers to prepare for trials. It is a professional of legal science that performs procedures autonomously or semi-autonomously, as part of a legal assistance system.
Their job role includes gathering and arranging evidence and other legal documents for attorney review and case preparation.
What is the Difference Between a Lawyer and a Paralegal?
A lawyer goes through a series of training and licensing. On the other hand, a paralegal is an individual who helps a lawyer in legal cases.
Attorneys can represent clients in legal proceedings. They give legal advice and can perform their roles independently.
Paralegals are dependent on lawyers to take decisions.
Read Also: How To Become A Paralegal In 2023: Schools, Certificates, Salary, Cost, Requirements
What Qualifications Do I Need to be a Paralegal?
Paralegals have good knowledge of the law. Although you don’t have licensing to practice, paralegal is not a roadside profession.
Basically, you need to earn an associate degree or bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies. If you intend to advance in this profession, you may pirsue a masters in legal studies.
Also, earning national and state level certifications will go a long way to advance your career as a paralegel.
Some employers in their job description for a paralegal may summarize qualification as “have some legal training”. Whichever way you look at it, a credential in paralegal is a necessity.
Depending on the legal team, some employees demand a specific number of years of experience. You will also find required skills for the profession in a job description template for paralegals.
Paralegal Skills
To excel in the paralegal field, you need some industry relevant skills. Aside the 21st century skills you must have as an employee, you must be an expertise in the legal field.
Below are some notable skills that cut across most Paralegal job descriptions.
- Ability to multitask. …
- Strong attention to detail. …
- Willingness to learn. …
- Expertise in organization. …
- Psychic abilities.
- communication,
- time management
- attention to detail
- teamwork
- Problem solvers
- critical thinkers
Read Also: Administrative Assistant Job Description Template for 2023
Can a Paralegal Become a Lawyer?
Yes, a paralegal can become a lawyer if the go through training for lawyers. While working as a paralegal, you can decide to become a lawyer.
Basically, you need to go back to law school and pass the bar exam. When you pass the exam, your job role changes from being an assistant to taking up legal cases and representing clients in court.
Do Paralegals Make Good Money?
Yes, paralegals make good money. In 2020, a bureau of labour statistics report posits that paralegals make an average of $50,940 a year.
The report states that the lowest 10% of paralegals earn less than $31, 400. The highest 10% of paralegals earn approximately $82, 050.
However, other factors like where you work, job position, and location can influence your pay.
Do Paralegals Work from Home?
Paralegals work for long hours. Some legal teams employ virtual paralegals by law firms directly. So, they can work remotely from home.
Other virtual paralegals work from home as independent contactors for one or more attorneys.
Generally, work from home paralegal jobs are quite lucrative. In recent times, law firms and corporations hire virtual paralegals to offset the workload of in-house professionals.
What are the Duties of a Paralegal?
The summary of the duties of a paralegal is to assist lawyers to prepare for legal cases. How they eventually do that is greatly determined by the employer.
However, most paralegal job description templates will have the daily duties of a paralegal as:
- conducting client interviews
- maintaining general contact with clients
- conducting an investigation, statistical and documentary research
- conducting legal research
- Drafting legal documents, correspondence, and pleadings
- Summarizing depositions, interrogatories, and testimony.
- Attending executions of wills, real estate closings, depositions, court or administrative hearings, and trials with the attorney.
- authoring and signing correspondence provided the paralegal status is indicated and the correspondence does not contain independent legal opinions or advice.
- calling on witnesses to testify at hearings.
- keeping law library up-to-date by monitoring legal volumes.
Paralegal Job Description Templates
These paralegal job description templates are from top recruiting firms and legal teams. It gives deep insight into all that is required to become a paralegal.
Also, human resource managers in dispensing their duties, can use these templates to make their work easier. Click on the download template buttons to get a copy.
Job Description Templates of a Paralegal 1
Job Description Templates of a Paralegal 2
Job Description Templates of a Paralegal 3
Conclusion
Plans and dreams may not play out the way you envisage. If your desire to become a lawyer is dwindling, light it up by considering this career.
It allows you to explore the legal field and be integral to the legal team. Gain more clarity by downloading these paralegal job description templates now.
References
- Indeed.com – Paralegal Job Description
- Wikipedia – Paralegal
- Better Team.com – Paralegal Job Description
- Shrm.org – Paralegal
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