Becoming a Legal Assistant

In a day, a lawyer handles several cases. In these cases, extreme research of court decisions, writing legal documents, and looking for an edge for one to win a case are needed.

In this case, lawyers can not handle all these exhausting processes. Hence, the service of a legal assistant is needed.

Function of a Legal Assistant

The functions of a legal assistant are quite similar of those who are practicing law. There are only a few differences between the two. One of these differences is that a legal assistant cannot appear as counsel for the party in any court proceedings. They also cannot give legal advice to their client. These responsibilities are solely shouldered by lawyers. Therefore the functions of a legal assistant are strictly limited. One function of a legal assistant is researching for jurisprudence. Jurisprudence refers to the court or judicial decisions which form part of the legal system of a particular state. Aside from jurisprudence, they are also tasked to research legal codes which are pertinent to the case being handled by a lawyer.

In addition to these functions is the writing of legal documents. These legal documents include the complaints and affidavits. For one to write these particular documents, they have to study the case where such files will be used. Sometimes, if the lawyer trusts the skills of their legal assistant, they even let them interview the people involved in a case to obtain information. From the facts obtained, they will have to write reports recommending such findings to the lawyer. There are other tasks which are typically given to them. However, this will depend on their skills and capabilities.

Requirements on Becoming a Legal Assistant

Those who usually hire legal assistant are law firms and legal divisions of corporations. The first and foremost requirement that these employers seek from their applicants is to have at least the background knowledge about the laws as well as court proceedings. In order for you to attain such knowledge, enroll in a community college meant for an associate’s degree in paralegal studies. There are also other schools which offer more advanced programs. The requisites for entering these programs are typically like those required in any high education course. However, most of these programs are lengthy. But the benefit of attaining degrees from these programs is a high salary income compared to those who haven’t.

On the other hand, there are also other private sectors who hire a legal assistant even if they have little knowledge of long. However, they must be equipped with excellent research skill which is needed in investigating relevant facts to a suit. This skill is essential because this will serve as their tool in making reports and other legal documents. They should also have dedication and perseverance. This is because their work demands a lot of their time and effort. As what is generally observed, lawsuits undergo strenuous and tiring process. And legal assistants play a vital role in this process because of their functions. f

    Comment

    (All the above fields are required.)