| Topic Name: |
What are my chances to find a Paralegal job in NYC?? |
| Message Name: |
A world of difference |
| Date Posted: |
06/15/2000 |
| In Reply To: |
What usually are the duries of a paralegal? What is the difference between attorney and paralegal? Thank you for your answers. |
| Message: |
In some senses, broad questions like this are difficult to answer because there are so many permutations to what paralegals do in different firms so as to render all answers too anecdotal to be of use. But here goes anyway:
The technical difference between an attorney and a paralegal is usually defined in two ways: a paralegal cannot give a client legal advice and a paralegal cannot appear in court. The pragmatic difference in real life law firms is much more than that. Litigation paralegals help prepare discovery responses, trial exhibits, and, in complex cases, sort massive document productions.
There is no "one" job function list for all paralegals, though, and litigation paralegals can do anything from the most mundane background stuff to the most intense "sit by the partner who's trying the case and choreograph the presentation" trial work. Some litigation firms (and particularly paralegals within the firms) recognize some distinction between a "document" paralegal, who might maintain databases and storage areas for complex case documents and discovery, and "trial" paralegals, who actually accompany the trial team to court. Again, the various gradations of responsibility from firm to firm are too numerous for a pithy response applicable to all firms.
Transactional paralegalling is even more varied. Some transactional paralegals do little more than organize deal binders for routine deals. Others, working under the supervision of an attorney, might prepare complex securities filings or, again under supervision, draft loan transaction documents. In a solid message board of paralegals, you'll find some who say "I'm a glorified, mistreated clerical worker" and others who say "I do more complex work than my firm's associates do, and I never use those arrogant or self-pitying tones of voices they use".
In general, though, a highly valued paralegal is basically an attorney's principal assistant and a competent, detail oriented intelligent member of the legal team, billed to the client at a lesser rate than an attorney. A paralegal is less skill or a paralegal trapped in a firm which does not appreciate paralegals can do work as mundane as the most mundane clerical work you can imagine.
Go into paralegal work if you like the idea of law, don't mind detail work, can trade off a bit of income, but don't want the responsibility of being a lawyer or the long long hours of a big firm associate.
Avoid paralegal work if you dislike mundane tasks, working under direction, or listening to others try cases you wish you were trying.
I used to say paralegal work was the best alternative for the liberal arts major who did not have a strong drive to work in a business-type job. The information age has changed that--liberal arts folks have some sought after skills in a lot of areas--and now you should consider whether you might like the career on its own merits.
I'm used to working for firms with great paralegals, and I've got to say, nothing is better than having competent paralegal assistance on a time-consuming project. So it's a job where you do make a difference, if you work hard and get good at it.
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