Terminology in
today’s world
is constantly
changing. It
can be very
confusing to
know exactly
what someone
means when they
say something.
The term
‘paralegal’ is
a very good
example of this
as is legal
assistant and
legal
secretary. They
are all used on
a regular basis
but can leave
many people
wondering what
they actually
mean and what
the difference
is between each
role. They are
used regularly
but you ever
sat down and
wondered what
they actually
are?
After learning
some of the
basic facts,
you will find
that you are no
longer
confused.
A
legal secretary
is actually
exactly what
the term
implies; a
secretary with
specialized
training in the
legal field
meaning that
they can be
more efficient
at their job.
Most legal
secretaries are
female and only
sometimes had a
college
degree.
Legal
assistants are
somewhat
different to
legal
secretaries and
require
different
skills and
different
qualifications.
They take a
much more
active role in
the office and
need to be much
more familiar
with the legal
system itself.
It is a
decidedly hands
on job and is
directly
helping the
attorney.
Today, the
terms ‘legal
assistant’ and
‘paralegal’ are
often
interchangeable,
although those
that work in
this role
prefer to be
known as
paralegals.
There is not a
great
difference
between the
two. The legal
secretary’s
role is
basically a
clerical one
and this is not
the focus of
the
paralegal.
The vast
majority of a
paralegal's
work includes
things which
are undertaken
under the
direction of
the attorney
and it is a
matter of
lessening the
workload of the
attorney by
taking on tasks
which he/she is
qualified for.
Daily tasks can
include
interviewing
witnesses for a
court case,
researching
statistics and
gathering
information for
a case.
The large
majority of
paralegals
today are men,
but there is no
reason why
women can’t
train and
become one. It
was once
thought to be a
female role –
to assist
someone else,
but in the last
few years many
men have seen
just how
rewarding the
job is and
because of this
there has been
an enormous
increase in the
amount of men
applying for
work and so
many so that
the number s of
male paralegals
are now higher
than the number
of females.
A
paralegal is a
professional in
the law office
and has a very
important role
and therefore
needs to have
the
qualifications
and training to
be able to
perform this
role to the
best of their
ability.
The 15 Most Successful Paralegals In America Named In Lessons From ... PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 10 hours ago 2008-11-22 10:26:11 - The Paralegal Litigation's Handbook is the primer on litigation, a comprehensive book that begins with a guide to the courts, ... Judgment favors Novell in ongoing SCO case - Computerworld
Paralegal Information Session to be Held Dec. 4 Guilford College News & Events, NC - Nov 20, 2008 The Center for Continuing Education will host an information session for its paralegal education programs on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6 pm in the Leak Room, ...
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