Although the roles and responsibilities of paralegals or legal
assistants can differ widely by firm, these employees ideally
should spend minimal time performing clerical or other work suited
to legal secretaries and administrative staff. By the same token,
paralegals should not do work that is best handled by lawyers. This
article explains why this matters and how it can affect a law
firm's profitability.
Just about every law firm employs paralegal staff. But are you
using them too much or too little? Are they overpaid administrative
staff or underpaid legal staff? By finding the right balance, both
you and your paralegals will benefit.
Defining the Job
The National Association of Legal Assistants states that
paralegals "have knowledge and expertise regarding the legal
system and substantive and procedural law which qualify them to do
work of a legal nature under the supervision of an
attorney." According to the American Bar Association,
approximately 85% of
