Difference Of Opinions About Paralegals And Legal Assistants

Published on: 19 March 2021 Last Updated on: 27 December 2024

Working in law is not an easy endeavor. Multiple roles and designations keep this sector afloat. While lawyers and judges are primarily associated with law, you can’t ignore the importance of paralegals and legal assistants who ensure that the court system can do its job. Even though you are working for a lawyer as an assistant and paralegal, these are not the same job professions. Here’s how both career paths differentiate from each other:

What Do They Do?

Understanding what their jobs entail is an excellent place to start to build your knowledge on what a paralegal does compare to a legal assistant, and here’s how:

Paralegal:

As a paralegal, you are helping a lawyer with their cases. That means you conduct all relevant research work on laws and draft legal documents with the best supporting evidence for a lawyer to be used in court.

They also assist a lawyer prepare trail reports and file appeals with the opposing counsel. Since paralegals also specialize in criminal law, real estate law, and immigration policies, they have the legal rights to bill clients for their work. However, legal assistants cannot do the same.

Legal Assistants:

As a legal assistant, your job is more on the administrative side than regular work. You will help a lawyer prepare legal documents such as subpoenas and take their phone calls for them.

You’re also critical in reminding the lawyer about their court appearances and helping them schedule their appointments and workload. You will also be vital in greeting clients and ensuring all emails get a response. Your work will include organizing all the relevant paperwork a lawyer may need, such as statements and evidence, and file them appropriately. Finally, you prepare bills for a lawyer’s clients, but you cannot bill them for your services.

However, suppose you wish to try your hand as in law and work your way from a paralegal to an independent lawyer. In that case, there are many exciting and well-structured online programs for you, such as an online criminal justice degree. This degree is not only the first stepping stone into your promising career. Still, it provides you with the necessary resources to do well as a legal practitioner.

Where Do These Fields Differ?

When you are aware of what a legal assistant’s and a paralegal’s job entails, it is easy to dive deeper and study their differences more comprehensively:

1. Skills:

As a paralegal, you may find yourself sharing certain skill sets with a legal assistant. However, since your job requires you to work within the legal framework, you should know how to take legal actions known as litigation charges organization breach of contract. You will need to know how to use Microsoft Office or any equivalent word processor to prepare your documents. Also, learn how to compile a proper document that follows standard documentation format. You will need to know how to carry out research and make use of the evidence you have.

You will need to schedule meetings and remind the lawyer to attend all-important court appearances and meetings. You should know the basic law framework and know-how to enter all relevant data.

2. Experience:

Most law firms ask for paralegals who have some experience of working in law. Most ask for at least a minimum of three to five years of work experience. Suppose you go with only entry-level expertise with no experience to only two years of experience. Chances are you may not get a job as a paralegal and given the competition in this sector alone. You trim down your options further if you don’t take advantage of every opportunity before applying for a job.

As a legal assistant, your job experience is not under heavy scrutiny. Whether you’re new to the job or have been working for a while, you can quickly secure a job yourself. It is not unheard of for paralegals to start as legal assistants and interns before applying for higher employment opportunities till they’re eligible to work as a paralegal.

3. Salary:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most paralegals can earn $49,500, while a legal assistant can earn $44,180. However, these wages can go higher, and in 2019, they had crossed the $50,000th mark. Your salaries mainly depend on your employer. If you choose to work in a private setting than a non-profit, you have higher chances of earning more.

4. Education:

As a paralegal, you will need to have solid formal education to find employment. You will need to attend a bachelor’s program in legal studies or paralegal studies. Then appear for your examinations. You will also need to intern while you study. And getting work right after your bachelor’s may become problematic if you choose to skip out on all opportunities and directly apply to a law firm.

As a legal assistant, you may need to look into a bachelor’s degree and get a certificate in paralegal studies. However, you may start your job right away after you graduate as a legal assistant. You don’t need to do many internships, but it helps to walk in with some experience.

Wrap Up:

If you are looking for a law career, becoming a paralegal or a legal assistant is a good start. These two professions are just as important as the lawyer itself. Without the proper help, a lawyer may struggle in staying on top of their cases and not know how to make compelling cases. As a paralegal, your job will be working with the lawyer and their clients, especially for the legal system. As a legal assistant, you will make sure all appointments happen on time. All relevant documents are in the system.

Clear Career Path Advice

One area missing in this debate is clear advice on which path might be best for you. While the differences between a paralegal and a legal assistant are outlined, it’s important to help you figure out which role fits your skills and interests.

If you prefer administrative work, becoming a legal assistant may be more appealing.

However, if you love doing legal research and working directly with clients, the paralegal route might be a better fit. So, reflect on what you enjoy most!

Day-to-Day Tasks

It would also help to include more real-life examples of what a typical day looks like for both roles.

For instance, a legal assistant might start the day answering calls and organizing files, while a paralegal could be deep in legal research for an upcoming trial.

This way, you can get a clearer idea of what your day-to-day might look like in either role.

Future Career Growth

Another missing point is career growth opportunities for both positions. Where could these roles take you in the future?

As a legal assistant, you might eventually become a paralegal, and as a paralegal, you could decide to go to law school and become a lawyer. These roles could be stepping stones to bigger career opportunities if you want to advance further in the legal field.

You do not have to be stuck in either of the positions!

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How Safe are Pedestrians in Georgia?

Georgia is a great place for people who like to walk. Many cities and neighborhoods dedicate their roads to walking communities. Downtown Atlanta has walking paths for residents, employees, visitors, and customers. The Metro Atlanta area is also full of pedestrian-friendly parks. And let’s not forget that the rural parts of the Metro area have abundant hiking trails. All this makes Georgia seem very pedestrian-friendly. Not necessarily. While Georgia may encourage walking, pedestrians are only sometimes safe. How Safe are Pedestrians in Georgia? In 2019, Smart Growth America conducted an urban planning and development study. Atlanta was included in their research, including a portion dedicated to how pedestrian-friendly certain states are. How did Georgia rank? Put together by The Embry Law Firm, let’s look at some statistics: Overall, the state ranked as the 6th most dangerous state for pedestrians. The Metro Atlanta area ranked as the 25th most deadly region for pedestrians. From 2008 to 2017, 1,782 pedestrians were victims of hit and run by cars across the state. That accounts for 1.76 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people (about the seating capacity of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum). The annual average number of pedestrian deaths in Georgia is 184. The national average is 1.55. From 2011 to 2015, pedestrian deaths increased by 58%. 78% of pedestrian injuries and fatalities occurred at “non-intersection” locations. 52% of pedestrian injuries and deaths occurred while the individual was waiting to cross a road. This data means that Georgia—and especially Metro Atlanta—may be friendly to pedestrians, but our state’s drivers are not. Is the State Trying to Protect Pedestrians? Knowing what we do about pedestrian accidents, injuries, and deaths across the state, we must consider whether our state leaders are taking action to reduce those numbers and save lives. The answer is that, yes, state leaders are working on initiatives that could reduce the number of pedestrian accidents and deaths. Georgia has adopted one major initiative called “Vision Zero.” This initiative comes from the idea that traffic fatalities can be reduced to zero through engineering, education, and enforcement (the 3 E’s). Vision Zero holds to the notion that humans make mistakes. Therefore, a road system is required to ensure these mistakes do not lead to severe injuries or death. Numerous countries and cities across the United States have adopted Vision Zero. Many have seen a dramatic improvement in their traffic fatality rates, including pedestrian deaths. One of Vision Zero's goals is to enhance road safety for everyone—drivers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and public transit users. What Can Pedestrians Do to Stay Safe? Pedestrians can do their part in the fight to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents and fatalities each year. The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety recommends the following: Always walk on the sidewalk if possible. If there is no sidewalk, walk close to the left side of the street. When walking on the street, facing traffic. Always cross the road at a crosswalk if one is available. Stay in the street and attempt to dash in between traffic. Pedestrians are required to obey traffic signals. Look for signals that say “walk” or “don’t walk.” When walking near the street, wear bright clothing or use reflective gear. Encourage your children not to play in the street, even in quiet neighborhoods. You can’t control the actions of others, but as a pedestrian, you can take measures to keep yourself safe and out of harm’s way. Whether you are commuting to work in Atlantic Station or walking a trail along the Chattahoochee River, walking is a favorite pastime for Georgians. It is important, however, that all of us do our part—whether walking or driving—to protect ourselves and others around us. This is the best way to improve safety for all of Georgia. Just Moving to Georgia (Road Safety Guide) Georgia has reliable hours and an easy position. Therefore, you might end up here for your work purposes. However, when it comes to road safety, you need to be a little more careful with your approach. To begin with, you will have to be wary of road safety measures and how to protect yourself against rash driving. Now, here's a thing that you want to remember, and that's—crossing streets; Cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections; if none are available, keep well on the road to be seen. Stand clear of vehicles in case they roll backward. Be Seen: Wear bright or reflective clothing if you are walking or biking in low lighting conditions, especially at night. Make eye contact with drivers in the vehicle waiting for you to cross in front of them. Avoid Distractions: Don’t use your phone or listen to music at a high volume while walking. Be aware of everything and everyone around you. Educate Children: It is not just about your safety, especially if you are relocating your family alongside the job. Teach children to follow road safety precautions while crossing the roads. Plan Safe Routes: Choose well-lit and less busy routes for walking. Know the normal traffic patterns around where you live. Final Note Whether you’re new to Georgia or you’ve lived here for some time, remember that safe walking can sometimes be your responsibility. We have a combination of urban and rural settings in which to enjoy walking, but because of that fact, we must be aware of some simple tips to keep ourselves safe. Yes, appreciate other drivers, but when in doubt, always come back to his rulebook! Read Also: 7 Ways Truck Accidents Differ from the Regular Car Crashes Denise Hamet Discusses Trends in Creative Transportation Strategies

Things To Consider Before Hiring A Lawyer

In simple words, everyone should keep in touch with a lawyer. If you haven't consulted a lawyer, it is important that you look for one. Even if you have never run into legal trouble, the chances are that you will have to consider the services of an attorney, or hiring a lawyer is turning to be essential at some point of time in your life. Or, if you run into trouble and don’t know how to sift through a legal issue, only a lawyer will let you know how to walk out of it. However, when you begin looking for hiring a lawyer, you will get overwhelmed because many people have already joined the bandwagon. 4 Things To Consider Before Hiring A Lawyer When you are about hiring a lawyer, you have first to understand the course of the legal trouble. According to the legal situation and the types of legal concerning points, you have to choose the attorney for your help. But when you are hiring a lawyer, always give the maximum preferences to the more knowledgeable lawyers. So if you’re looking for an attorney, we will walk you through four important things to consider: 1. Knowledge Is The Power Simply put, not every lawyer has detailed information about everything related to the business. In fact, most attorneys choose a certain area of expertise and practice it for the rest of their lives. Therefore, when you are hiring a lawyer, always first look at the different expertise areas of the lawyers. So when you look for lawyers in Singapore, don’t forget to look for an attorney who specializes in your business. For example, if you have been charged with a felony, you will have to contact a criminal defense lawyer and not a personal injury attorney. 2. Character Do you know how to rest assured about the integrity of the character of an attorney? Long story short, you must know about the character of the person whom you plan to work with. Apart from the legal knowledge that one must possess, they need to be passionate about this work so that they can help you out to the fullest. Look for somebody who can offer you emotional support and gravitate your case in the right direction. Furthermore, ensure that an attorney has the grace to work on your case and collect necessary evidence. 3. Experience In law, the number of years served in the industry has got a lot to say about the probability of success of an attorney. Especially if you are about to hire a freelancer or hiring a lawyer, we recommend you to ask about their experience. On the contrary, if you are about to hire a lawyer, through an agency, you can ask the firm about the portfolio of a certain lawyer. Never choose to work with a newbie because they don’t have any experience of working on a case. Therefore, if you choose to save some money, this will eventually cause you trouble in the long run. 4. Client Reviews Last but not least, customer reviews are essential when it comes to hiring an attorney. A client review will sift you through the pros and cons of working with a certain attorney. Therefore, if you don’t come across ravishing reviews on an attorney's profile with whom you'd been eagerly looking forward to working, you can look for other options. Secondly, once you have worked with an attorney, you can give positive reviews on their profile according to how your experience with them has gone. Before hiring a lawyer, always look for the client reviews of the agency or the lawsuits. According to the client’s reviews, you will know how much help you will get after hiring a lawyer. Conclusion: You are hiring a lawyer, especially when you are going to need legal advice to sort out a legal problem. Undoubtedly this is very challenging work. But if you follow these four tips, you not only can overcome the situations. You will get connections with a professional lawyer. And legal issues are the parts of human life. So you can not say after your first time hiring you are no longer going to need professional lawyers any longer. Read Also: 5 Tips To Help You Choose The Best Car Accident Lawyers In 2021 Tips To Choose The Best Lawyer In Your Country

How Big Is The Problem Of Medical Malpractice In Miami?

With exponentially growing medical malpractice cases, the time has come to take a serious view of the issue and take adequate steps to curb the problem. A series of complicated statutes govern the medical malpractice cases in Tampa and are referred to as the Florida Medical Malpractice Act. It comes under the ambit of Florida Statutes section 766. This statute has undergone several changes and edits over the years with changing times, and it is most favorable to hospitals and medical or health care providers. The law is not very favorable towards malpractice victims. It takes highly experienced, expert, and skilled Miami medical malpractice attorneys to win a medical malpractice case. How to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit? The medical malpractice law also comes with a statute of limitations of two years. It means that the case needs to be filed within two years of the incident to be admissible in court. If the petition gets filed within the original limitation statute expiry, it can be extended to three months. Medical malpractice cases are usually very complex and need a lot of preparation to build a solid case. The lawyer and the victim have to put in a lot of time, effort, and energy into collecting and gathering relevant medical reports. Once collected, these reports are closely scrutinized and analyzed to see if it has merit. An expert witness who also reviews the records then prepares an affidavit attesting to the fact that the victim was subjected to harm and medical negligence by the health care provider. Once the affidavit is submitted in court, the malpractice case starts. How can a Miami Medical Malpractice Attorney help you? The task of the Miami Medical Malpractice attorney is to check the complicated regulations and laws that must be met before a medical malpractice case is filed in Miami. It is imperative to note here that as per Miami’s medical malpractice laws, there is a mandatory pre-suit screening period wherein a set of oral and written questions is involved in the mandatory 90-day period before filing the lawsuit. As soon as the victim or next of kin realizes having a medical malpractice case, they must immediately look for a qualified, experienced, expert, and skilled medical malpractice attorney who can handle their case and file in court. Some facts about such cases are an eye-opener about growing problems in the medical field. As per the latest studies, as many as 440,000 people get killed every year due to medical errors that could have been prevented in the United States of America. It is a staggering figure and shows the lacuna in the medical services. The figure shows deaths that could have been prevented if there would have been no careless medical errors. The Bottom Line: It is high time that authorities in position start taking cognizance of the fact and putting practices, procedures, and systems in place to help control and bring down this figure. Due to medical negligence, occupying the third position as the cause of death in America is removed. Strict and quick actions can do wonders with this problem and help patients get the best medical care. Read Also: How to Successfully Choose Medicare Plans Top 5 Colorado Springs Personal Injury Attorneys 5 Ways A Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help You In Your Case

Difference Of Opinions About Paralegals And Legal Assistants

What Do They Do?

Paralegal:

Legal Assistants:

Where Do These Fields Differ?

1. Skills:

2. Experience:

3. Salary:

4. Education:

Wrap Up:

Clear Career Path Advice

Day-to-Day Tasks

Future Career Growth

Criminal Case – Dos And Donts

5 Reasons Why You Should Take A Criminal Lawsuit Seriously

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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Related

How Safe are Pedestrians in Georgia?

Things To Consider Before Hiring A Lawyer

How Big Is The Problem Of Medical Malpractice In Miami?

Difference Of Opinions About Paralegals And Legal Assistants

What Do They Do?

Paralegal:

Legal Assistants:

Where Do These Fields Differ?

1. Skills:

2. Experience:

3. Salary:

4. Education:

Wrap Up:

Clear Career Path Advice

Day-to-Day Tasks

Future Career Growth

Share this Article

Criminal Case – Dos And Donts

5 Reasons Why You Should Take A Criminal Lawsuit Seriously

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related