Paralegals are professionals who work in law office to provide assistance and support to attorneys. They help lawyers to prepare for hearings, trials, and meetings. They also help to maintain communication with all clients and other parties that the attorney is currently dealing with. They offer many services, but they are prohibited from doing ant task that can be considered as practicing law. The name legal assistant is also used to refer to paralegals. When one needs Paralegal Services Orillia offers the perfect location to visit.
The growth of paralegal field is very fast with many people joining daily. More than 277, 000 paralegals were working in this field in the United States in the year 2012. From there, there has been a continuous increase in that number. In most occasions, legal assistants are employed by law firms, both in the public and private sector. Those in the public sector work with government agencies, whereas, those in private section are employed in legal divisions of organizations.
A person can become a paralegal in several ways. The simplest way is by finding a law firm which is willing to take untrained person under their employment and train them on the job. Under such arrangement, a person works under the direct supervision of other trained paralegals until they understand what is expected of them.
The other way is by undergoing training in a university or college. Such institutions usually offer associate and bachelors programs lasting for 4 years. In community colleges, associate degrees last two years before graduation. For individuals already holding college degrees in different fields, they can opt for a certificate in paralegal studies lasting a year.
One can pursue certification after training if they like even though this is not a requirement. Those who go for certification do so to improve their chances of finding a job in the legal profession. One must ensure that the body providing the certification is legitimate before enrolling. Instances of people receiving certification from bodies that are not certified to offer such credentials are reported every year.
Several soft skills are also needed so as to work successfully in this profession. Strong reading comprehension skills is among the skills as the work demands much reading. Reading and understanding what is read is very necessary and then reporting to the attorney one works with. It helps the attorney to make informed decisions. To communicate effectively with attorneys and clients, strong listening skills and speaking skills are also demanded.
Also, legal assistants need to be in a position to express themselves clearly in written communication. This is because part of their work involves drafting documents which are meant to be used for legal purposes. While drafting such documents, a person must observe a high level of clarity because legal profession maintains a certain level of seriousness. A person must also have good time management and critical thinking skills.
An individual is assigned more critical duties as they gain greater working experience. Training new paralegals in the firm and supervising them is an example of job responsibility given to an individual with more experience in the job. Seeking for greener pastures in other firms is also one of the ways to advance a career. One may land on a managerial position if they work hard enough.
The growth of paralegal field is very fast with many people joining daily. More than 277, 000 paralegals were working in this field in the United States in the year 2012. From there, there has been a continuous increase in that number. In most occasions, legal assistants are employed by law firms, both in the public and private sector. Those in the public sector work with government agencies, whereas, those in private section are employed in legal divisions of organizations.
A person can become a paralegal in several ways. The simplest way is by finding a law firm which is willing to take untrained person under their employment and train them on the job. Under such arrangement, a person works under the direct supervision of other trained paralegals until they understand what is expected of them.
The other way is by undergoing training in a university or college. Such institutions usually offer associate and bachelors programs lasting for 4 years. In community colleges, associate degrees last two years before graduation. For individuals already holding college degrees in different fields, they can opt for a certificate in paralegal studies lasting a year.
One can pursue certification after training if they like even though this is not a requirement. Those who go for certification do so to improve their chances of finding a job in the legal profession. One must ensure that the body providing the certification is legitimate before enrolling. Instances of people receiving certification from bodies that are not certified to offer such credentials are reported every year.
Several soft skills are also needed so as to work successfully in this profession. Strong reading comprehension skills is among the skills as the work demands much reading. Reading and understanding what is read is very necessary and then reporting to the attorney one works with. It helps the attorney to make informed decisions. To communicate effectively with attorneys and clients, strong listening skills and speaking skills are also demanded.
Also, legal assistants need to be in a position to express themselves clearly in written communication. This is because part of their work involves drafting documents which are meant to be used for legal purposes. While drafting such documents, a person must observe a high level of clarity because legal profession maintains a certain level of seriousness. A person must also have good time management and critical thinking skills.
An individual is assigned more critical duties as they gain greater working experience. Training new paralegals in the firm and supervising them is an example of job responsibility given to an individual with more experience in the job. Seeking for greener pastures in other firms is also one of the ways to advance a career. One may land on a managerial position if they work hard enough.
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Find an overview of the advantages of using paralegal services Orillia firms offer and more info about an experienced paralegal at http://www.johnfarrparalegal.ca right now.
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