This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
When I first started studying at Paralegal school, I was excited yet overwhelmed. Stepping into the professional world as a paralegal can be both exciting and challenging. The courses in legalresearch and writing equipped me with the ability to efficiently locate and analyze relevant statutes, regulations, and case law.
As society shifts and the need for lawyers to work faster and smarter grows, it becomes increasingly important that lawyers are able to nurture partnerships with freelance paralegals and legal assistants. For one, legal assistants focus solely on administrative work, clearing up time for lawyers to focus on other tasks.
I have been in the legal field for over 30 years and a paralegal going on eight years. Then, an opportunity came along to work for the County Public Defender’s Office, defending people in misdemeanor, felony, and now the only paralegal in the office on capital cases. Paralegal to the Prosecution. Communicate with Clients.
How to Become a Certified Paralegal Are you looking for a steady career with opportunities for advancement and minimal barriers to entry? You could become a certified paralegal in 6 months, for less than $2,300! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this path to becoming a certified paralegal.
I made the mistake of going into a deep dive on legal AI the other day and googling “will paralegals be replaced by robots?” Paralegals Replaced by Robots?! Scanning the price of a can of soup is a lot different than what a paralegal does. Something a patent paralegal might typically do. The role of a paralegal.
A Certificate in LegalResearch to Advance in Your Paralegal Career Legalresearch is a fundamental skill for any paralegal, enabling them to support attorneys, draft documents, and ensure that all legal proceedings are well-informed and accurate.
Yet, behind every successful attorney stands a diligent and indispensable ally: the paralegal. Most, if not all, attorneys have paralegals, or someone that does all the work of a paralegal, without whom it would be extremely difficult to deliver legal services; as they do various jobs that make the law properly administered.
LegalResearch Demystified, by Eric Voight, Professor of LegalResearch and Writing, Faulkner University. I have a new favorite legalresearch textbook and reference guide for law and paralegal students — LegalResearch Demystified. link] (table of contents and a sample chapter).
Custodia Legis, the Law Librarians of Congress , offers webinars on legalresearch issues as part of its Orientation of Law Library Collections. Supreme Court and judges in other federal courts are interpreting statutes setting a new precedent. These webinars are free and presented by librarian experts.
ChatGPT and related AI tools can write, edit, and research—three tasks that weigh heavily on the daily agendas for paralegals and legal assistants. Let’s explore the merits of AI in the legal field and how they could affect the work paralegals and legal assistants do today.
A CLE honeypot for those who need CLE credits to maintain bar requirements or professional paralegal designations or who simply want to improve their legalresearch skills. Code and Statutes at Large. I highly recommend signing up to sharpen up your research skills regardless of whether you need the CLE credits.
Most successful law firms employ support teams with a mix of paralegals and legal assistants, however, the duties of a legal assistant can vary a great deal depending on who you ask. Put simply, a legal assistant works in a supportive role that does various tasks, most often administrative work, on a lawyer’s behalf.
When you’re a new paralegal or even as a paralegal student, it can be hard to find primary authorities during the research phase of a case. Computer-assisted legalresearch platforms, such as LexisNexis or WestLaw, aren’t cheap. From there, you take those citations and determine if they will fit your needs.
In fact, according to the MyCase 2024 Legal Industry Report , 81% of respondents who leverage generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools use it to increase productivity and efficiency. Concerns about job displacement, ethical considerations, and the need for human judgment persist in the legal community. Areas AI Can Enhance 1.
I started in with some basics like statutes and cases and he'd respond with a "hmmmm" or an "uh huh?" If I wanted to be ignored, I'd talk to a bunch of paralegal students. Seems he had a case that was giving him quite a bit of trouble and, being a local law librarian, asked me if I had any suggestions no where to start looking.
According to the Legal Industry Report 2024 , nearly one-quarter (24%) of law firms have adopted legal-specific generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools. Survey respondents confirmed they use GAI to streamline firm processes, from drafting marketing content to finding specific statutes.
How many times have you seen posts on LinkedIn and social media that go something along the lines of, “ I went and got a paralegal certificate, but I can’t get a paralegal job without any experience. How do I land my first paralegal job?”? Jessie is a board certified trial paralegal in Texas. On her own.
Billable hours are the basis of most legal fee calculations, and putting in enough billable hours is essential to the profitability of law firms—that’s why they generally seek to maximize the number of billable hours that associates and partners put in. Some firms have a billable rate for key support staff, such as paralegals.
Here are some of the key reasons law firms should invest in technology: Increased Efficiency: Using legal technology to automate tasks that consume much of a lawyer’s time. At the same time, AI-powered legalresearch tools can reduce the required time and expense of using conventional research techniques.
Paralegal Certificate Program Blackstone’s Paralegal certificate program is an excellent option for incarcerated individuals, and the total tuition cost is only $885! The program includes 14 volumes covering a range of topics from criminal law to legalresearch and writing.
It was also completely unable to answer any legal questions that related to a particular statute or citation and was generally unable to grasp the substance of the underlying issue. And we have already seen efforts to have bots advise “clients” on run-of-the-mill legal representation issues in court. AP: Not really.
They help with research, keep track of critical case files, and support attorneys when complexities arise. But choosing a paralegal program that truly boosts your career can feel overwhelming, especially when online learning options pop up left and right. Why Study Paralegal Programs Online? That includes paralegal studies.
That sense of uncertainty can be even more intense when you’re determined to become a paralegal, but you lack direct work experience. You might be wondering, How on earth can I catch a law firms attention if I havent worked in a legal office before? If you completed a legalresearch class, mention major assignments.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 99,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content