In many ways, paralegals are the backbone of law offices. They provide crucial support to lawyers through a variety of duties. From interviewing clients to drafting legal documents, paralegals require many soft and hard skills to be successful.
If you are pursuing a paralegal career, here are the top skills you must cultivate
to succeed.
12. Strong Attention to Detail
According to the , the paralegal is often the last person to review and provide feedback on documents
being submitted to the court, client, opposing counsel, or opposing parties. So, being
able to catch small errors is an essential quality for paralegals to possess. A misspelled
name, wrong birth date, incorrect quote 鈥� all of these mistakes can be potentially
detrimental and costly to the firm.
11. Time Management Skills
Paralegals need to be able to prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively to
meet deadlines. They often need to keep track of numerous deadlines and reminders
set by the court and . Finally, paralegals also schedule phone calls, interviews, and meetings, so the
ability to successfully manage other people鈥檚 time is also an important part of the
job.
10. Organizational Skills
Paralegals are the glue that holds the cases together for attorneys, keeping everything
organized. Maintaining filing systems, scheduling meetings and events, booking travel,
updating client information, tracking time, and billing clients 鈥� all these duties
require meticulous organization.
9. Legal Knowledge
This may seem like an obvious one, but it鈥檚 essential for paralegals to know common
legal terms and processes and have a comprehensive understanding of the judicial system.
Since paralegals help attorneys with substantive work, including interpreting legal
documents, explaining information to clients, and communicating with the court, knowing
basic legal concepts is vital.
8. Technical Skills
This may not seem as obvious, but paralegals often have to use legal software to create
reports, bill for time, and record client information. So, paralegals should be proficient
in using technology and software commonly used in the legal profession, such as legal
research databases, case management software, and document management systems. Being
comfortable in Word, Excel, Westlaw, and LexisNexis can make paralegals competitive
in the workforce.
7. Communication Skills
Since paralegals often act as a liaison between different groups, including lawyers,
clients, witnesses, court personnel, co-workers, and other business professionals,
strong oral communication can go a long way in a paralegal鈥檚 career. Effective speaking
skills are necessary, as paralegals often conduct interviews with clients, witnesses,
and experts and interact with people via telephone or email correspondence.
6. Legal Writing Skills
In addition to oral communication, paralegals typically have to draft legal communication like briefs, letters, and pleadings, so possessing effective legal writing skills is crucial. Since paralegals have to interface with everyone from clients and witnesses to courts, being to write for different audiences is key. That鈥檚 why USF鈥檚 Paralegal Certificate program focuses on legal writing as a key competency.
鈥淲hen you take this program, you will draft more documents than a first-year law student,鈥�
said Richard B. Herman, Esq., Adjunct Law Professor. 鈥淲hen you go to law school, in
your first year, you usually draft a brief or a memo of law. That鈥檚 what you spend
the whole year preparing and drafting. Here, you open up with a thin file on day one,
and at the end of four months, you鈥檝e drafted ten documents on your own, including
a memo of law, as well as interrogatories and discovery.鈥�
5. Interpersonal Skills
Since paralegals spend most of their time working with clients and other professionals,
they must have the ability to develop good relationships, according to the . Having a strong rapport with clients and maintaining those relationships throughout
the case helps everything move more efficiently. Paralegals often interview witnesses
as well, which takes empathy and understanding. Since the environment can be fast-paced
and stressful, the paralegal has to be able to stay grounded and supportive.
4. Research Skills
Do you like to gather information across different sources to support an argument?
Paralegals need to be proficient in legal research and analysis, including the ability
to use online databases and other legal resources. Paralegals often use electronic
and print sources of law to research information on relevant laws and regulations
to help attorneys prepare for a case. Identifying, reading, evaluating, and analyzing
local treatises, law review articles, legal encyclopedias, and other sources to explain
the law and apply them to issues requiring legal analysis.
3. Critical Thinking Skills
According to the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), paralegals
need to be able to analyze complex legal issues and identify potential solutions.
Being able to determine which areas of law are relevant for a given situation and
applying their legal knowledge to identify and evaluate solutions in given situations.
For example, paralegals often have to gather and synthesize large amounts of information,
and then decide the best way to present the information for a given case considering
competing interests and other variables.
2. Ethics and Professionalism
Paralegals need to uphold high ethical and professional standards in all aspects of their work. According to the AAfPE, paralegals should understand legal and ethical principles related to paralegal conduct, including but not limited to the following:
- Unauthorized practice of law and lawyer supervision of non-lawyers.
- Confidentiality and attorney-client privilege.
- Handling client funds, legal fees, and related matters such as fee agreements and awards.
- Conflicts of interest.
- Advertising and solicitation.
- Prohibitions relating to fees, including fee-splitting, fee referrals, and partnerships between lawyers and non-lawyers.
- Limitations on communications between people outside law firms, including judges, jurors, and represented persons.
- Proper courtroom conduct, honesty, and candor, as well as sanctions for misconduct.
- Frivolous claims and defenses.
Overall, paralegals must uphold high ethical standards and be able to identify and
resolve ethical dilemmas that may occur in the workplace.
1. Willingness to Learn
The legal world is constantly evolving, so paralegals should be passionate on staying up-to-date with legal developments, research, and news. From learning new skills to growing in a specific area of law, there is always opportunities to learn in the legal industry.
USF offers a variety of paralegal and legal certificates so that legal professionals can continue to grow in their careers. Learn more about how USF鈥檚 convenient, self-paced legal courses can deliver the training and credentials you need to advance your career journey.