Is anyone a Paralegal or Legal Clerk?

[crazycanuck]

Just wondering if anyone can provide some further information on this type of position?

Thanks

[Blueberry]

I know there are a couple of lawyers on here (myself included) - and I have a few paralegal friends. Of course, US and Australia may be way different in what the job duties entail:)

CA

[maillotpois]

I worked full time as a paralegal through law school. (Supported my shoe habit.) What do you want to know?

[cyclingmama]

I'm a lawyer, but I worked as a law clerk during law school and I work with paralegals, so I may have info you are looking for. What are your questions?

[vermonster]

I'm a paralegal.

[OakLeaf]

Never been a paralegal, but I did teach legal writing in a paralegal program one semester. I've been a lawyer and a legal secretary. I'd guess that paralegal duties would be similar in any of the former British colonies - where we have the common law system - but don't really know!

Really, in the USA, paralegal duties vary HUGELY depending on the specialty and the firm's needs. It's usually just part of the same work a lawyer would ordinarily do - which could be interviewing clients, investigation, title searches, legal research and memo writing, drafting court documents, correspondence, and just about anything else you can think of, probably excepting negotiations, but some paralegals might even do that?

[maillotpois]

I can't imagine a firm having a paralegal do any sort of negotiation.

Tasks would vary depending on what the firm did: litigation, probate, criminal, etc.

Do your attorneys in Australia wear wigs like I think they do in the UK? (Conjuring images of John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda... :D )

[vermonster]

I don't know of any paralegals who've been authorized to negotiate by themselves; assisting in settlement discussions is about as far as that would go I think. The rest of it varies greatly, but in general you could expect to do legal research, draft legal documents, organize exhibits, prep witnesses, assist at trials/hearings/depositions. I guess a lot of it depends on the firm you work for.

[spokewench]

I'm a paralegal - I specialize for my boss in real property, corporate, and conservation law. So I do a lot of drafting of conservation easements, attending meetings to determine terms of contracts, attending board meetings, sometimes settlement/mediation meetings, preparing documents for those meetings, drafting corporate docs, researching title issues, preparing and keeping accounts for gravel pit contracts, etc.; lots of different things all the time.

[crazycanuck]

Thanks,

I was mainly wondering about it career wise. Is it worthwhile, will I be kept on my toes all the time, will I be able to utilize my brain?!!! Do you feel it's a bit monotonous & perhaps burn out is quick?

I'm doing some career/university course investigations & this popped into my head.

THanks!

[shootingstar]

I was a law librarian for several years in public and private sectors (serving the courts, 2 major organizations of which 1 on of them was a national law firm, other an international professional services firm..and a legal aid organization) ...and it was my observation that in the end, it is the lawyer(s) that you work for, that can sign off the final legal opinion/memoranda, contracts, research, etc.

The credit goes to the lawyer(s), not to the paralegal(s)...as long as you're aware of this.

In 1-2 Canadian provinces, there have been debates on licensing of paralegals. Ontario was 1 jurisdiction where this was heavily discussed. The report would be online at the govn't website.

Like most jobs, sometimes being in a smaller organization or a division, you might have a broader range of responsibilities. Even in a legal aid organization, where such legal organizations are much more democratic/flatter, paralegals did have considerable interface with the clients to determine their legal needs and assist in filing court applications, etc. but in the end it had to be a lawyer to sign off a legal opinion or legal interpretation of the law, for the client. In the legal aid organization, the paralegals did assist in matters of family law, landlord and tenant matters and consumer law.

[maillotpois]

...and it was my observation that in the end, it is the lawyer(s) that you work for, that can sign off the final legal opinion/memoranda, contracts, research, etc.

The credit goes to the lawyer(s), not to the paralegal(s)...as long as you're aware of this.


It's not so much an issue of receiving "credit" as the fact that (at least here, I don't know how it works in Canada but suspect it must be similar) one must actually pass the bar and be a licensed attorney before being able to sign documents to be submitted to court. Additionally, for reasons of legal malpractice insurance, other documents (not submitted to court) must be signed/approved by an actual attorney in order to truly protect the firm or organization from potential malpractice liability.

[NbyNW]

I was a paralegal for my first couple years out of college, as a way of exploring whether I wanted to become a lawyer. Long story short, I decided against law school. I thought litigation would be interesting but I found that the whole adversarial basis for our system was something that I would rather leave to others. As others have said, it can vary widely depending on what area of the law you're working in, and then individually who you're working for. As in any field, there are nightmare bosses and there are bosses who treat you well and appreciate how hard you work for them.

CC, it may help for you to do some informational interviews to get a sense of whether or not it would have what you're looking for in a career. Try talking to people in a variety of specializations. If there are specific programs you're looking at, maybe ask if they have any recent grads that would be willing to talk to you?

[Trekhawk]

I can't imagine a firm having a paralegal do any sort of negotiation.

Tasks would vary depending on what the firm did: litigation, probate, criminal, etc.

Do your attorneys in Australia wear wigs like I think they do in the UK? (Conjuring images of John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda... :D )

LOL - love John Cleese.
Apparently some do and some don't.
http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Sept07/180907/wn03.htm

[Patti37]

Thanks,

I was mainly wondering about it career wise. Is it worthwhile, will I be kept on my toes all the time, will I be able to utilize my brain?!!! Do you feel it's a bit monotonous & perhaps burn out is quick?

I'm doing some career/university course investigations & this popped into my head.

THanks!

I have been a paralegal for over ten years (my how time flies) and have worked for three different firms. In the first firm as a new paralegal I did do some negotiation.

I am now a paralegal for a firm involved in civil litigation. The work, how you are utilized and if there is burn out depends on the firm.

For the most part, my brain is always needed for the job. I do have mundane days but they are rare.

I interviewed a paralegal recently and was asked to describe my day...I couldn't describe a typical day because there is not such thing so I told him what I had done each day that week (only three days). No two days are usually the same. Then again I get work from 9 different lawyers some with different areas of practice

Burn out depends on the firm and on billing requirements...some firms have ridiculous billing requirements; others are more laid back. If you interview with a firm, always ask about the billing requirements.

If you have any other specific requirements, I would be happy to answer them.

[OakLeaf]

CC, do you have any thoughts about what area of the law you'd like to work in (which would help narrow what the duties of a paralegal in that field would be) - or conversely, what type of work you'd like to do - whether you'd want a lot of client interaction, or spending a lot of time in government offices interacting with the same officials regularly, or by yourself in the library/at the computer?

When I practiced, I represented disability claimants. I assume there's something similar in Australia. It was a really good practice. I always got to be the "good guy" - the medical side of it always kept it interesting even when the legal issues sometimes got repetitive - and there were no emergencies. What more can you ask? :)

[crazycanuck]

Oakleaf-I'm not even sure of the legal area i'd want to end up working in. A quick thought here..Industrial Relations or dealing with Environmental issues. I don't want to deal with clients directly as i'm not interested. You did mention -spending a lot of time in government offices interacting with the same officials regularly, or by yourself in the library/at the computer. I'd be much happier working by myself :)

Ah, you worked in Workers Compensation! That's an idea..

I'm still doing searches on Seek regarding these types of positions.

I need to sit down & do some more thinking..:o