1. Today’s Professional Paralegal
CHAPTER 1
Today’s Professional Paralegal

2. Introduction
Be prepared to be part of an exciting and growing profession
As the profession has grown, the average paralegal salary has increased
Supplement what you learn in the classroom by talking and networking with paralegals in various professional environments
Whom you know can sometimes be as important as what you know

3. What Is a Paralegal? Definition of Paralegal Qualified by
Education
Training
Work experience
Employed or retained by
Lawyer
Law office
Corporation
Governmental agency
Learning Objective: What a paralegal is.

4. What Is a Paralegal? Definition of Paralegal (continued)
Substantive legal work
Major organizations
American Bar Association (ABA)
National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)
Learning Objective: The names of the professional associations of paralegals.

5. What Is a Paralegal? Expanding Roles
Perform many functions that traditionally were performed by attorneys
Work falls somewhere between that of an attorney and that of a legal secretary
Perform substantive legal work
Trained to perform through education, experience, or (usually) both

6. What Do Paralegals Do? A Sampling of Paralegal Tasks
Conduct client interviews and maintain contact with clients
Locate and interview witnesses
Conduct legal investigations
Calendar and track important deadlines
Organize and maintain client files
Conduct legal research
Learning Objective: The major tasks para perform.

7. What Do Paralegals Do? A Sampling of Paralegal Tasks (continued)
Draft legal documents
File legal documents with courts
Summarize witness testimony
Coordinate litigation proceedings
Attend legal proceedings
Use computers and technology

8. What Do Paralegals Do? Paralegals’ Duties Vary Most of the time
Size of office
Kind of law that the firm practices
Amount of experience or expertise that the paralegal has
Most of the time
Drafting legal documents
Handling client relations
Conducting legal research

9. What Do Paralegals Do? Paralegals and Technology
Specialized legal software programs
Time and billing software
Online legal databases
Litigation support software
Computer skills and technical knowledge is highly valued
One of foremost areas of expanding paralegal responsibility
Increased marketability

10. Paralegal Education Model Employee Come prepared Expect the unexpected
Be ethical without exception
Know where and how to find the answers
Be mindful of cost

11. Paralegal Education Model Employee (continued)
Use a variety of sources
Check, check, and double-check
Stay current with trends in a field 
Pay attention to the details of mechanics and citation

12. Start Today Career Advice from William McSorley
Map out a strategy for your future.
Educate yourself on the paralegal career path and do a self-assessment.
In school, get good grades, get to know your program director and instructors, start making a list of contacts, and get working on a quality résumé.
Join a local paralegal organization in the second semester.

13. Start Today (continued)
Career Advice from William McSorley
Work on securing an internship or doing volunteer work at a law office or other legal environment during your third semester.
Check out your college’s career services resources and discuss your résumé, interviewing skills, and placement opportunities with them.
In the fourth semester, make the final push to get that job you’ve worked so hard to obtain!

14. Paralegal Education
Currently more than 1,000 paralegal training programs operating in the United States
Educational Options
Two-year community college programs
Four-year bachelor’s degree programs
Certificate programs
Postgraduate certificate programs
Master’s degree programs
Learning Objective: The education and training available to paralegals.

15. Paralegal Education
Curriculum—A Blend of Substantive and Procedural Law
Substantive law
Defines
Describes
Regulates
Creates legal rights and obligations
Cont.

16. Paralegal Education
Curriculum—A Blend of Substantive and Procedural Law
Procedural law
Establishes methods of enforcing rights
What documents need to be filed
When the documents should be filed
Which court will hear the case
Which witnesses will be called

17. Paralegal Education
The Role of the AAfPE and ABA in Paralegal Education
AAfPE
Promote high standards for paralegal education
Develop standards and curriculum
ABA
Established a set of educational standards for paralegal training programs
ABA approval is a voluntary process

18. Paralegal Education Certification
Formal recognition by a professional group or state agency
Must pass an examination and meet certain requirements
NALA, NFPA, NALS, AAPI, or state certification process
No state requires paralegals to be certified
Voluntary certificate offers an advantage in the labor market
Learning Objective: Whether paralegals must be certified or licensed.

19. Paralegal Education NALA and NFPA Certification
Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)
Certified Paralegal (CP)
Advanced Paralegal Certification (APC)
Registered Paralegal (RP)

20. Paralegal Education Certification by Other Paralegal Organizations
Basic certification exam (ALS)
Advanced certification exam (PLS)
Professional Paralegal (PP) certification exam
State Certification
Voluntary
State specific

21. Paralegal Education Continuing Legal Education
Supplemental formal education
Continuing legal education (CLE) programs
Seminars and workshops
NALA and NFPA
Require annual CLE courses
Maintain certification status

22. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Demands on paralegals have increased
Professional
Efficient
Specific legal knowledge
Exhibit certain aptitudes
Possess certain personality traits
Think logically
Analyze complex issues of law and conflicting descriptions of fact
Learning Objective: Key skills and attributes of the professional paralegal.

23. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Analytical Skills
Gather and analyze data
Break down complex theories and fact patterns
Legal analysis
Factual investigation
Trial preparation
Legal research and writing
Analytical reasoning

24. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Communication Skills
Effective legal representation depends on communication with clients, witnesses, judges, juries, opposing attorneys, and others
Reading skills
Speaking skills
Interpersonal skills
Writing sSkills

25. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Computer Skills
Computer skills are essential
Document creation
Data-entry skills
Use sophisticated software
Database-management systems
Adapt to new technology
Social media tools
Become as knowledgeable as possible about online communications during training

26. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Organizational Skills
Learn and practice organizational skills
Organize files, data, time
Create procedures and checklists
Keep things running smoothly
Opportunities as a paralegal student
Organize notebooks
Devise tracking system for homework assignments
Create a study or work schedule
Many books offer guidelines

27. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
The Ability to Keep Information Confidential
Mandatory
Ethically and legally obligated
Cannot divulge information to anyone outside group
Spouse
Family members
Closest friends
Responsible and reliable

28. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Professionalism
Behave professionally at all times
Be responsible and reliable
Put aside any personal bias or emotion
Be honest and assertive
Appearance, attitude, and other factors

29. Paralegal Skills and Attributes
Professionalism (continued)
Be courteous and respectful during interruptions
When under pressure
Remain calm, detail-oriented, and accurate
Focus on completing task quickly and accurately

30. The Future of the Profession
Dynamic, changing, and expanding field
Growing range of duties
Perform many of the same tasks as lawyers
Between 2008 and 2018
Positions will have increased by 28 percent
Broader range of career options than ever before
Formally trained and skilled paralegals will have excellent employment potential

31. Summary
The terms paralegal and legal assistant mean the same to some people
Paralegals perform many of the tasks traditionally handled by attorneys
Paralegals spend the bulk of their time performing document management, client relations, and research
Paralegals skilled in using technologies to assist them in performing their duties will excel in the profession

32. Summary
Higher education and paralegal education programs have become increasingly important in the growth and development of the profession
The demands on paralegals to be professional and efficient have increased
The role of paralegals in law continues to grow as the providers of legal services have learned the effectiveness of qualified nonattorney professionals