Paralegal Training

LegalMatch Law Library Managing Editor, Ken LaMance, Attorney at Law

Paralegals are people with a level of legal education and training which is second only to the legal education and training held by lawyers. Paralegals are an absolutely essential role in the legal system. They are employed by law firms, government agencies, and the legal departments of large corporations to support the work done by lawyers in those organizations.

 

Paralegals perform a wide variety of roles in the legal system and legal industry. Many paralegals attend a paralegal college to learn the skills necessary to become a successful paralegal.

 

These skills include doing high-level legal research, spotting the relevant legal issues in a situation with extremely complex facts, draft legal documents, and ask questions of clients.

 

The main thing that paralegals cannot do, and what separates them from lawyers, is that they cannot appear in court on behalf of a client, and they cannot render legal advice to a client. Other than that, they do much of the same work that lawyers do.

 

Because their skills are so valuable, and, in some cases, make the practice of law even possible, paralegals from a good paralegal college, working at top law firms or corporate legal departments can be very well paid, often making more money than a significant percentage of lawyers (though generally not more than lawyers within the organization they work in).

Do Paralegals Face Any Special Legal Issues?

Lawyers are bound by special ethical rules which have the force of law, but do not apply to non-lawyers. Generally, the most severe punishment that can be imposed for violating these rules is loss of a lawyer’s license to practice law (called “disbarment”). Because a paralegal does not have a law license, a paralegal cannot be disbarred.

 

However, as a good paralegal college will make clear, lawyers are held accountable for the actions of their paralegals. So, if a paralegal makes a huge mistake (such as divulging confidential client information or not catching a conflict of interest before an attorney takes on a new client, their actions might result in the attorney they work for getting into trouble with the state bar. In such a case, the paralegal won’t face any direct legal consequences, but the professional consequences could be catastrophic. For that reason, paralegals need to be intimately familiar with the laws that govern the professional conduct of attorneys.

 

However, thanks to the education provided by a good paralegal college, as well as professional experience, only a tiny minority of paralegals ever find themselves facing such a situation.

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