Lawyers are typically very busy people, and so most times they’ll need assistance to navigate their tight schedules and appointments.
This is where the legal assistant comes in.
What is a Legal Assistant?
Legal Assistants work in the legal profession to help lawyers make their tasks easier.
Keep reading to find out more about this career and what it entails.
What are the responsibilities of a Legal Assistant?
- Organizing and gathering all the legal documents that the lawyer uses for trial. The organization of these documents could be either in the hardcopy format (Paper) or soft copy (computers.
- Keeping an up-to-date record of the lawyer’s schedule and appointments. This ensures that the lawyer does not miss out on any important meeting, appointment, or even trial.
- Collection and organization of the legal evidence meant to be used by the lawyer in the court of law. This also includes the affidavit and any other legal evidence meant to be used in the court.
- Communicating with the clients for everything from important meetings for deliberation to boiling and payment plans. They are also responsible for keeping the client informed and updated on the progress of the case. This communication should not be limited to the clients but should also involve the witnesses and lawyers.
- Preparing summonses and subpoenas and maintaining contact with the people involved in the case
- Taking notes in the courtroom to make sure that the important things are well documented.
- Helping the lawyer to write and even summarize the reports that will be needed in the course of the case.
Legal assistants have an exciting but demanding job. They play a vital role in making sure that the lawyer performs their duties at his or hers optimal best.
A legal assistant can also be called a paralegal, even though the word paralegal is specifically used to refer to certified employees.
There are different types of legal assistants
Some of them specialize in corporate law, family law, estate planning, immigration, and litigation.
Legal assistants are very versatile, and they require a lot of skills to function properly. Organizational, teamwork, writing, technical, and good critical thinking skills are very important for a legal assistant to do a good job. Next time you see an efficient lawyer doing very well, remember that behind him/her, there is also an equally efficient legal assistant.