Assisting lawyers in the fast-paced world of litigation is not for the faint of heart. Dates are docketed. Suits are filed. Depositions are scheduled. Witnesses are subpoenaed. And all of this (and more!) happens before a trial ever begins. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) defines a paralegal as “a person, qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer.”
Behind every great litigator is a highly skilled paralegal taking care of countless details. Being a litigation paralegal isn’t for everyone, but those who answer the siren song of this branch of law must possess five essential skills in order to get the job done.
Litigation Paralegals Must Be Organized
The law is deadline and document intensive. During the pre-trial stage, litigation paralegals must docket and track statutes, calendar calls, meetings with witnesses, depositions, hearings, motion deadlines and discovery due dates. Depending on the size of the firm there may or may not be a central system to help manages all these dates. If there is, great! If there isn’t, it’s still a paralegal’s job to keep track of it.
Pleadings, medical records, correspondence and other important documents must also be meticulously organized. A key paralegal responsibility is to produce, at a moment’s notice, one pertinent piece of paper that lives somewhere in a filing cabinet filled with other documents.
Litigation Paralegals Must Have An Understanding of Medical Records
Many lawsuits arise from a person being injured. Medical records are important documents in such cases. Litigation paralegals aren’t expected to have the level of medical expertise that a legal nurse consultant, a nurse or doctor would have. A basic understanding of how the medical records are recorded and organized and what medical issues are pertinent to the case is key. It allows the paralegal to handle other case matters, such as summarizing depositions or gathering information for an expert to review, more knowledgeably.
Litigation Paralegals Must Be Discrete
The attorney-client relationship offers a client the highest degree of privacy. A litigation paralegal, functioning as an extension of the attorney he or she supports, must provide the same level of discretion and confidentiality. Paralegals routinely have access to private information of individuals and businesses. An important part of the job is to make sure this information does not get passed on to anyone else. While a client’s embarrassing medical history might seem like a great story to share with friends, indiscretion of this sort puts your managing attorney’s reputation and license to practice law at risk.
Litigation Paralegals Must Be Flexible
Litigation has a general flow, but circumstances can shift with little warning. Facts change or new facts emerge. Depositions once set in stone are cancelled due to last-minute conflicts. Weeks are spent preparing for a big trial that settles on the courthouse steps. Each new fork in the road necessitates a different set of actions and responses. An exceptional paralegal navigates these forks gracefully and is on to the new set of tasks without missing a beat.
Litigation Paralegals Must Communicate Flawlessly
Orchestrating a lawsuit from the initial client meeting to trial or settlement involves an endless stream of phone calls, emails and letters. Direct, concise and well-documented communication is the best way to move the case forward while keeping all of the players on the same page. If an event is scheduled via telephone, it should be confirmed with an email or a letter, or both. If asked by an attorney to research a point of law or interview a witness, a paralegal needs to document the process and findings in a memo.
The combination of high pay and exciting work make the market for litigation paralegals a competitive one. Paralegals who embody these five traits in their daily work will continue to command the best legal jobs with the highest salaries and will be rewarded with more interesting career paths.
Janice Fahy - Janice Fahy is a freelance writer who is comfortable researching and writing on just about any topic under the sun.
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