If you want to become a paralegal or have questions about what being a paralegal looks like, this article is perfect for you. In this article, I will teach you some information about paralegal life like what they do in a day, what work they have to complete, and how we become a paralegal. I want you to learn more about this wonderful and demanding job because I am passionate about the job, and I want you to discover what a paralegal does.
Being a paralegal is to work hand in hand with a lawyer, but the only task that he can't do is give legal advice. Only a lawyer can give some to his client. This paralegal job leads you to prepare legal documents, research legal precedents, perform investigative work on cases, write reports, and draft documents for litigation. We can say that paralegals and lawyers have the same level of importance because the paralegal's job is the first step in the preparation of the lawyer's defense for a trial.
The paralegal helps the lawyer to prepare the cases. For example, the paralegal can do research about a subject that gave the lawyer for a specific file, prepare documents for the court, check the planning of the lawyer to be sure he is on time for each meeting, answer the phone to talk with clients, and open and close files.
Every day in a paralegal day is different, but if we do a little summary of the daily tasks, it should look like drafting correspondence, calculating calendaring deadlines for filing documents, using an automation system and computerized support to prepare cases, drafting pleadings, document responses, and discoveries, contacting and conferencing with clients, analyzing and summarizing documents and checking different facts.
Paralegals can work in different environments. The most typical one is the lawyer or notary office, but there's more. For example, a paralegal can work in a courthouse, in a public function, in a private business, in an administrative tribunal, in a surveyor's office, and more.
To become a paralegal you have to do a college degree in Paralegal Technology. This program is 3 years long, and you learn about Civil Law and Criminal Law. In the last semester, you have an internship of fifteen weeks. This internship can give you the chance to know exactly what is it to be a paralegal.
A paralegal beginner can make around $30 000 per year and an experience one can make $90 000 per year. It always depends on the place you work.
Sometimes in the year, paralegals can have conventions with other paralegals to know the recent law change. Moreover, they can have conferences to know more about a specific subject.
The worst danger that a paralegal can live is tiredness. Actually, a paralegal day is not an 8 to 4. It is more hours than that. Sometimes, paralegals can work up to 80 hours per week because of the hard work to prepare for the trial.
I don't think that robots will take the place of paralegals soon because paralegals do a lot of research, and I don't think that robots are able to do that type of research. Moreover, paralegals have direct contact with clients, so robots can't answer the phone and welcome clients. Also, robots can't defend clients in a trial. For these three reasons, I don't think robots will take the place of the paralegal soon.
Paralegals retire the age of the retirement age in Quebec which is around 60 years old.
I have been studying Paralegal Technology for 2 years. After this semester, I will only have one more years to do before becoming officially a paralegal. After college, I would like to go to university to become a lawyer.
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Rationale: to inform or educate
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Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
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