Legal assistants are also known as paralegals and are a tremendous help to anybody who desires to hire them. Those most likely to hire a paralegal are law firms, attorneys, government agencies, or any entity in need of legal work done for a less expensive fee. But what does a legal assistant actually do to help these businesses out?

The Paralegal Job Description

There are things that a paralegal can do and there are things that a paralegal cannot do (when it comes to law). Paralegals are basically highly trained secretaries and assistants. They go through much education and training while becoming a paralegal. They are considered to be law experts while still not being called lawyers.

The American Bar Association allowed the use of paralegals in the late 70’s, while this industry has been growing at a rapid rate since. By 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this career to grow another 28%. So it’s a perfect time to start your education and training to become a paralegal.

Some of the tasks that a legal assistant performs include, but are not limited to:

• Investigating facts and data of a case
• Researching other cases similar to present trials and hearings
• Identifying appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other information that is relevant to the case
• Writing concise reports of anything that was researched and investigated for lawyers to better use in court
• Preparing draft pleadings and legal arguments for lawsuits
• Obtaining affidavits

These tasks not only help the business or organization that hires a paralegal, but they also allow these companies to charge less for the same amount of work, thus helping clients as well.

Legal Assistant Salary

The average paralegal salary is $50,080 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but you have to understand that there are many paralegals that make much more and there are many that make less. This depends on a couple factors such as the state that the paralegal works in, the amount of training, and whether or not the legal assistant is certified through an ABA-approved national association.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking into becoming a legal assistant or are just curious about this career field, you’ll be glad to know that these professionals are a great way to help keep costs low, contact between the client and the organization strong, and that there are great opportunities for growth in this profession. We wish only the best of luck to you in your future career path!