General Skills and Attributes of a Paralegal

The SPC Paralegal Studies Advisory Committee has provided us with this check list of basic skills every paralegal needs to have:

• Legal research skills
• Writing skills
• Good organizational skills. Legal assistants must be able to organize multiple attorneys.
• Analytical and critical thinking skills
• Investigative and factual organization skills
• Detail and precision oriented
• Must be able to distinguish between and accomplish proofreading and critical thinking skills and use each skill appropriately
• People skills and phone skills
• Time management skills
• Ability to anticipate the needs of the litigator
• Ability to m aintain a brief bank and read materials critically
• Good legal ethics and ability to maintain confidentiality

What a Paralegal Should Know About Computers

As in any other field today, paralegals must have a familiarity with technology of all kinds. Law offices generate paperwork, advertise via websites, and large amounts of digital evidence is organized for presentation in mediation or the courtroom. At a minimum, a paralegal needs to feel comfortable with word processing, spreadsheet and database applications. Many paralegals are called upon to tend a firm website or do extensive online searching.

Electronic discovery has added new responsibilities to the job description of litigation paralegals who have traditionally handled digital transcripts but must now organize hundreds or even thousands of documents in the discovery process.

Often paralegals provide courtroom tech support for presentation working with Trial Director, Summation, PowerPoint or a document camera. In addition, paralegals are often responsible for the construction of demonstrative aids such as charts, floor plans, or graphs.

The American Association for Paralegal Education has created the following description of the basic technological competencies required of every paralegal. Keep in mind that this list is just the entry level skills required. To actually do your best work you will need to become an early adopter in the ever changing technology world.

AAfPE Computer Skills

Levels of computer literacy required in the typical law office continue to increase. Paralegal education programs should be able to demonstrate that their graduates can:

1. Define and identify basic computer hardware components;
2. Identify and describe typical software and information systems typically encountered in the legal environment;
3. Locate, read and comprehend software licenses and understand the ethical implications and penalties for illegally copying or using software;
4. Demonstrate basic Microsoft Windows functions;
5. Demonstrate word processing program features, including preparing, editing, saving, and retrieving documents;
6. Describe spreadsheet program features and be able to prepare a basic spreadsheet and graph;
7. Describe database program features and be able to prepare a basic database;
8. Describe the features of a presentation software program including slide components, graphics and sound and be able to prepare a basic presentation;
9. Describe features of typical law office time keeping and billing software programs; identify ethical issues that arise with the use of such programs;
10. Describe the features of computerized litigation support programs and be able to compare such programs to corresponding manual litigation support;
11. Describe the features of case management and information management software; compare to corresponding manual case management;
12. Describe the features of computerized docket control systems; compare to corresponding manual docket control systems; identify ethical problems relating to docket control;
13. Access legal and non-legal data available on the Internet; compare key word and subject-oriented search engines;
evaluate Internet sites for reliability and validity of information; locate and join sites that relate to the legal assistant career;
14. Use e-mail functions; describe ethical issues that arise as a result of using e-mail and other electronic methods of communication;
15. Describe the process used to file electronically documents in courts that permit electronic filing; compare to manual filing; identify ethical problems related to electronic filing of court documents;
16. Perform computer assisted and CD-ROM legal research and Internet legal and factual research; and
17. Identify factors and issues to consider when purchasing legal-specific software.